Troubleshooting

How To Fix:

"Applet [name] can't init: NEW" error in Netscape 4.x

If you connect to the internet via a proxy server, and the applet does not load in Netscape 4.x (e.g. all you see is a gray box), roll your mouse over the applet, and check the Netscape status bar. If the status bar reads Applet [name] can't init: NEW, follow the instructions below.

Search for a file called prefs.js (or preferences.js). You may also have a liprefs.js file present. They will be somewhere in the Users folder, a subdirectory of where Netscape is installed. Open the file(s) in a text editor, and add the following line:

user_pref("security.lower_java_network_security_by_trusting_proxies", true);

Be sure to make the change in the part of the file where other prefs that begin with the word 'security' are located. It seems to make a difference on some platforms.

How To Fix:

"Install On Demand (Other)" error in IE6 on Windows XP

"Must install Java virtual machine" message in IE (any version)

NOTE: This information is now obsolete, and provided for historical purposes only.
The latest from Microsoft on this subject is available here, and applies to OS versions through Windows 7.

If you are experiencing one of the above (or similar) using Internet Explorer (IE), then this section applies to you. The visual symptom is a solid gray box (or white box with a red square, green circle and blue triangle) where the applet should be.

Due to a legal settlement between Microsoft Corporation and Sun Microsystems, Microsoft ceased supplying their version of Virtual Machine for JAVA in early 2003. Security updates were to be discontinued as of 2 January, 2004. See Microsoft's Customer Letter for full details.

UPDATE: Sun Microsystems and Microsoft have agreed to an extension of Microsoft's license to use Sun's Java source code and compatibility test suites. This extension allows Microsoft to support the MSJVM until 31 December, 2007. Also visit this page if you are a USA customer impacted by the DST (Daylight Saving Time) 2007 issue.

What This Means for You:

No future Microsoft product will include Microsoft Virtual Machine.

Current (and likely, future) Service Packs for both Windows and Internet Explorer will not include VM. In fact, XP Service Pack 2 removes MSJVM if it is already installed.

You will not be able to obtain Microsoft VM from the Windows Update site, contrary to some OS auto-install instructions.

You will be able to update existing Microsoft VM installs to the latest security release at the Windows Update site.

What to Do? There are three options:

1. Download the previous Microsoft VM (3805), then visit Windows Update and upgrade to the current 3810 version. Go this route if you are more comfortable with a Microsoft-supplied solution:
( VM for Windows 2000: & Windows 2000 SP4: |  All Windows OS except 2000: )

2. Download the latest 3810 version (all Windows OS except 2000) direct from this 3rd-party site. Microsoft Windows Online Support are themselves referring customers here, for those unable to obtain it via Windows Update Catalog. ()

3. Obtain the Sun JRE, which includes Virtual Machine, direct from Sun Microsystems.

Finally, you can test your browser's JAVA capability (any version, any OS) here.