• Ok this page is here just for two commonly seen problems. First to attemp to explain the problem seen by some who have mistakenly downloaded and installed Sun JAVA or some other JAVA engine as a default JAVA handler instead of Microsofts Virtual Machine while using Internet Explorer for a web browser. You will sometime in the future need to move to the Sun JAVA engine but at this time many find things such as Yahoo Chat not working with the Sun JRE. This problem is due to court rulings that have blocked Microsoft from including their JAVA Engine ( Microsoft JAVA Virtual Machine ) with many versions of Windows XP when shipped, and in many cases no JAVA Rendering engine provided at all. For more information on the legal actions and Microsoft's statement you may wish to visit http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/java/ or read up on the settlement of this action here. While you can indeed have both Microsoft Virtual Machine and Sun's JAVA engine on the same machine and if set up correctly they will work ok. However generally you will have a far faster operating browser with fewer browsing troubles using the Microsoft Virtual Machine when using Internet Explorer and MSJVM at this time. Many sites also depend on the use of the Microsoft JVM and will not function correctly with the Sun Java engine. The purpose of this short page is not to debate the merits of either engine, it is just to attempt to explain the problem. Some programs will not work with MSJVM and instead depend on use of the Sun JAVA engine and it can be used as a Plug In much the same way Winamp or other media handler like Shockwave can be. The problem comes when people mistakenly select to install the Sun JAVA engine as a default JAVA handler thereby telling Internet Explorer to use the Sun JAVA engine in favor of Microsoft Virtual Machine. The results of this are usually a slow web browser when JAVA is encountered. Some of this can be corrected if you go to Windows Update and obtain the update to allow non-Microsoft programs to have better access to the operating system functions. If you plan on using the Sun Java engine, you should make sure to get the update for your version of Windows or you may see slow or even a hault in the operation on your system when JAVA is encountered on a webpage or website depending on the processor speed and amount of memory you have available. Or to explain what happens further, in some cases when you have a slower processor and little extra free memory to spare, the swap file in Windows just keeps cycling and this results in a very slow operation of the system as in these cases it seems to lack the memory to run both programs at the same time. Again this may be corrected to some degree by updating to allow non Microsoft programs to have better access to the Operating System.

• First you need to determine if you actually have Microsoft JAVA Virtual Machine on your system or not ( current should be 5.00.3810 ). If you are not sure perhaps the fastest way to find out is to:
  
  
  
  • First check the version of Windows ( it should say at the start up of Windows on your system but if you have missed it, Goto your My Computer icon, right click and select Properties. Under the General Tab it should tell you what version of Windows you are currently using.
  • For Internet Explorer, with your browser open, click Help then About at the top of the screen. It should display the Internet Explorer you have installed currently.
  
  
  As far as Microsoft JAVA Virtual Machine
  
  
  • If you're running Windows 98 or Windows Me
  • On the taskbar at the bottom of your screen, click Start and then click Run.
  • Type in the word -command - .
  • At the command prompt, type in the word - jview -.
  • If a message displays information about Java, which will include the version, you have the VM installed on your computer.
  • If a message displays - Bad command or file name, - you do not have the VM installed on your computer.
  
  
  • If you're running Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP
  • On the taskbar at the bottom of your screen, click Start and then click Run.
  • Type in the word - cmd -.
  • At the command prompt, type in the word - jview - .
  • If a message displays information about Java, including version information, you have the VM installed on your computer.
  • If a message displays, - Jview is not recognized - as an internal or external command, operable program, or batch file, you do not have the VM installed on your computer.
  
  
  If you have MSJVM installed, Windows Update should update to the latest version but if you do not have it installed, you would need to obtain a download of it and install it prior to going to Windows Update to get the latest version for your system. NOTE! Windows Update will update MSJVM versions to the latest version available. So if you can only find the download for say version 3.508 it will update to 3.510 upon visiting Windows Update. You will wish to download the latest version so you have the security patches to be on the safe side.
  
  Got MS Virtual Machine installed already but find you have the Sun JRE engine set as a default JAVA handler?
  
  The fix for this in most cases it rather simple. If you have the latest Windows Updates you may wish to just go the the Start, then Set Program Defaults listed there. If not, Go to your Windows Control Panel by clicking on:

• START,
• SETTINGS or CONTROL PANEL (depending on the version of Windows used )
• CONTROL PANEL
• Then look for the JAVA Plug In Icons. They would be labled something like JAVA Plug In 1.3 or 1.4 Left click on the icon(s) there and wait for the Sun JAVA engine to load up. Then go to the Advanced Tab in most cases and make sure it is not selected or placed in as the default JAVA engine or plug in. Then make sure you click apply. This should allow Internet Explorer to again assume the job of being the default JAVA handler. It will not prevent other programs from using the Sun JAVA engine as a plug in just not use it as a default JAVA handler when web browsing.

The term(s) and/ or product(s) known as JAVA or Sun are trademarks of Sun Microsystems. The term(s) and/ or product(s) Windows, Windows XP, Virtual Machine, Internet Explorer, and/ or Microsoft are trademarks of Microsoft Corp. The use of any terms or references to these trademarks are for information or indenification purposes only. The author of this site makes no claims to ownership or endorsement of any of the above products compared to another.