BUG: VRML 2.0 Add-On Causes Problems With Classpath

ID: Q193876

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

After installing the VRML 2.0 add-on for Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, Java applications and tools that require the use of the registry to lookup the classpath may not operate properly.

Many of the tools that are included with Microsoft Visual J++ 1.0 and 1.1, and Microsoft SDK for Java versions prior to 3.0 use the previously mentioned registry key to find system classes in Classes.zip. Note that newer tools such as those included in SDK for Java 3.0 use the package manager to resolve system classes.

CAUSE

When the VRML viewer is installed on the machine, the install edits the following registry key (appending the %windir%\java\classes\msvrml.zip to the end of the classpath) and incorrectly inserts invalid character(s): 

   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Java VM]Classpath

RESOLUTION

A possible workaround for the problem is to manually edit the registry key using the Registry Editor.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

It is possible to strip invalid characters in the classpath stored in the registry by exporting the classpath registry key to a .reg file, and then importing it again, as in the following steps:

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Start the Registry Editor, and navigate to the following path: 

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Java VM
2. In the right pane of the Registry Editor window, you should see a 
   Classpath string value. Click on the Java VM key in the left pane to
   make sure that it is selected. Click Export Registry File on the
   Registry menu and save the key to a file.

   The .reg file that gets created does not contain the invalid characters.
3. Once the registry key is exported to a file, click Import Registry File 
   on the Registry menu and re-import the key that was just exported. Close
   the Registry Editor.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

REFERENCES

Please see the SDK for Java 3.2 documentation at the following address for more information on the Java package manager: 

   http://www.microsoft.com/java/sdk/32/default.htm
For the latest Knowledge Base articles and other support information on Visual J++ and the SDK for Java, see the following pages on the Microsoft Technical Support site: 

   http://support.microsoft.com/support/visualj/ 
   http://support.microsoft.com/support/java/
Additional query words: 
Keywords          : kbIE401 kbJavaVM kbVJ100bug kbVJ110bug 
Version           : WINDOWS:1.0,1.1,1.51,2.0,2.01,2.02
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbpending

Last Reviewed: May 7, 1999