Mimimwatch just won't start

[chrisbridgeave1]

Hi

Windows 10 (Creators Edn) 64bit with Java SE installed and associated with JAR files but...

Clicking on either the JAR file or shortcut simply produces a window which flashes onto and off the screen so quickly it is impossible to see what might be happening - certainly Minimwatch is not running! - no sign of it in either system tray or task manager

Help please someone!

Thanks

[simoncn]

The best way to fix problems like this is to run the Jarfix program.

[chrisbridgeave1]

(14-07-2017 19:10)simoncn Wrote:  The best way to fix problems like this is to run the Jarfix program.

Hi Simon

I tried that, apparently successfully, but I get the same result afterwards - something flashes on the screen and off again

HELP!

Chris

[simoncn]

Please try doing the following:

1) Open a command prompt window
2) In this window, type the command: cd "C:\Program Files\MinimWatch\lib"
3) In this window, type the command: mwatch.jar

What output (if any) do you see in the window?

[DavidHB]

Fully reboot your computer if you haven't done this since you ran Jarfix. If you rebooted, try to run MinimWatch, just in case the reboot was needed to make Jarfix work. If you still have problems, proceed as follows.

Open Control Panel, then Open Default Programs. Select "Associate a file type or protocol with a program." Wait for the file types list to populate, then scroll down to the entry for .jar. The "Current Default" should be "Java™ Platform SE Binary". According to what you have said, this should be correct. If it isn't, Jarfix did not work for some reason. In any event the next steps are the same.

Uninstall and reinstall Java. You should choose the Windows Offline (64-bit) download. Take the opportunity to open the Java Control Panel ("Configure Java") from the Start menu, and on its Security tab, uncheck "Enable Java Content in the browser". This is the best single security precaution you can take with Java.

Uninstall and reinstall MinimWatch as per the installation instructions. This will ensure that the correct version of 64 bit MinimWatch is installed. If you have MinimServer installed on the same computer, you will also need to check that it is still working, and reinstall as necessary.

If MinimWatch will still not open, temporarily disable your security program (and your firewall if separate), and try again. If MinimWatch then opens, you will need to create an exception for the Java Platform SE Binary in the security program, probably for your firewall. If you are using the Windows Firewall, it should pop up the required dialog when you try to open MinimWatch.

Hope this helps

David

[chrisbridgeave1]

(15-07-2017 20:52)simoncn Wrote:  Please try doing the following:

1) Open a command prompt window
2) In this window, type the command: cd "C:\Program Files\MinimWatch\lib"
3) In this window, type the command: mwatch.jar

What output (if any) do you see in the window?

Gentlemen - thank you both for your assistance - regrettably - both before and after trying the unsintall/reinstall and firewall off solutions - the result remains the same. Simon - the response at cmd prompt is below. David thanks, in particular, for the security tip re Java config

Error: Could not find or load main class C:\Program Files\MinimWatch\lib\mwatch.jar

For info - Mimimserver is running fine on my QNAP

[simoncn]

This message means that the .jar association is not set up as "Executable JAR file". Because of this, Windows is running the command "javaw mwatch.jar" instead of "javaw -jar mwatch.jar".

[chrisbridgeave1]

(16-07-2017 09:58)simoncn Wrote:  This message means that the .jar association is not set up as "Executable JAR file". Because of this, Windows is running the command "javaw mwatch.jar" instead of "javaw -jar mwatch.jar".

OK Thanks - so I have confirmed that by running javaw -jar mwatch.jar at command prompt - Hurray Minimserver launches

How do I "fix" this permanently? Jarfix doesn't seem to and I have "Java™ Platform SE Binary" as the default app for .JAR files

[simoncn]

(16-07-2017 16:47)chrisbridgeave1 Wrote:  OK Thanks - so I have confirmed that by running javaw -jar mwatch.jar at command prompt - Hurray Minimserver launches

How do I "fix" this permanently? Jarfix doesn't seem to and I have "Java™ Platform SE Binary" as the default app for .JAR files

It is not the default app that is wrong. The problem is the Description column in the list of filetype associations. For .jar, this column should say Executable Jar File. If it says something else (such as JAR file), you will get the problem you are seeing.

I have never seen this problem myself although it has been reported by other users. If you uninstall Java, what do you see in the Description and Current Default columns for the .jar file association?

[skeptic Mike]

(16-07-2017 21:26)simoncn Wrote:  

(16-07-2017 16:47)chrisbridgeave1 Wrote:  OK Thanks - so I have confirmed that by running javaw -jar mwatch.jar at command prompt - Hurray Minimserver launches

How do I "fix" this permanently? Jarfix doesn't seem to and I have "Java™ Platform SE Binary" as the default app for .JAR files

It is not the default app that is wrong. The problem is the Description column in the list of filetype associations. For .jar, this column should say Executable Jar File. If it says something else (such as JAR file), you will get the problem you are seeing.

I have never seen this problem myself although it has been reported by other users. If you uninstall Java, what do you see in the Description and Current Default columns for the .jar file association?

What do you see if you tyoe the following into a command prompt:

assoc .jar

It should normally be:

.jar=jarfile

and then, checking what jarfile is associated with is done by:

ftype jarfile

which should show:

jarfile="C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_131\bin\javaw.exe" -jar "%1" %*

If this isn't what you see, something odd has happened to the Java installation, if it is, then the installation is probably ok, and something else has gone wrong. It's possible to modify the file associations for a user, which might account for the behaviour you see. This doesn't seem to be picked up by assoc and ftype, which seem to show the system-wide (i.e. default) associations.

You can test this by trying to start MinimServer using a different user account, if it starts normally using another account, then we know that the problem lies in your profile.