Communicator Freezes While Starting Java
Applies to: Communicator 4.02, 4.03 (on Win95/98), Communicator 4.x (on WinNT)Operating Systems: Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.0 (with NT Service Pack 3 installed)
Problem: Accessing a site with Java causes Communicator to freeze
Solutions: Please note that there are different fixes for different problems that both cause Java freezes depending on which operating system you use. Windows 95/98 users should use the solution immediately below, while Windows NT users should use the solution at the bottom of the page.
Win95/98The above workaround will get Java working in the vast majority of cases, but the long-term solution is to upgrade to 4.04 or higher.
- Download SignedApplets.zip
- Close Communicator
- Extract (signed0.db) to your ...../Communicator/Users/(your_profile)/ directory
- Restart Communicator
Windows NT 4.0 (with NT Service Pack 3 installed)
NT 4.0 Service Pack 3 contains a bug in win32k.sys that will cause the GDI to throw an incorrect value that will lock up the Java Virtual Machines of both Communicator and IE when the JVMs are initialized if the system is running at true color depth. More in-depth information on the problem is available from the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
To permanently fix the problem, upgrade to NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.
If you cannot upgrade to Service Pack 4 yet for compatibility reasons, or otherwise wish to remain at Service Pack 3 level, download the GetAdmin hotfix, which includes the Java hotfix. Be careful to read all text files in the FTP directory before downloading and installing this hotfix. For Intel machines (486, Pentium, Pentium Pro, and Pentium II processors) the filename of the appropriate hotfix is admnfixi.exe. If you are already running Service Pack 4, you should not attempt to apply this update.
A temporary workaround for the problem is to drop to 16-bit or lower color depth, however the permanent fix is to install the service pack or hotfix. Please note that this Windows NT bug can affect all versions of Netscape 4.0x and is not limited to 4.02 and 4.03.
Other Java Problems
If you are experiencing an error mentioning 'java40.jar' when trying to start Java, please see Section 3, Number 16 of this UFAQ. This error is a separate problem not related to the above.
