Java 6 Update 2 may stop Internet Explorer from starting

Posted on July 10th, 2007 by Reiner.
Categories: English, Computers.

After having installed Java 6 Update 2, my Internet Explorer 6 would refuse to start without any indication whatsoever. I’m running Windows 2000 Server and - as I’m doing Java development - there are numerous older JDKs installed on my PC.

The problem appears to be caused by …\Java\jre1.6.0_02\bin\ssv.dll (SSVHelper Class plugin) included within Java 6 Update 2 up to and including build version 1.6.0_02-b05.

IE immediatley returns to normal operation by either uninstalling Java 6 Update 2 or disabling the SSVHelper Class plugin.

As I was unable to disable SSVHelper from within IE 6 (I believe it is an IE 7 feature) I reverted to ShellExView, an excellent Shell Extensions Manager that allows arbitrary Shell Extensions to be disabled in case they are causing problems - SSVHelper in my case.

13-jul-07 update:

The bug has been fixed and the downloads at http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/ have been updated to build version 1.6.0_02-b06 (as shown by java -version). 

To recover your PC from this bug, either re-download and re-install the JRE or disable the SSVHelper Class.

Links:

  1. SSVHelper Java 6u2 crashing Internet Explorer (java.net Forums)
  2. Bug ID: 6578549 Java 6 RE Update 2 package crashes Internet Explorer 7 (Sun Bug Database)
  3. Bug ID: 6559438 SSVHelper Class crashes Java 6u2 b02 (Sun Bug Database)

4 comments.

Reiner

Comment on July 13th, 2007.

Sun now has fixed this rather annoying bug in Java 6 Update 2 (JDK 6u2) that most probably has impacted only some installations, but then to a degree that might have caused rather intense feelings.

Do not despair! Help is on its way. You’ll find an amended download at http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/ within the next couple of days.

Reiner

Comment on July 13th, 2007.

The bug has been fixed and the downloads at http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/ have been updated to build version 1.6.0_02-b06 (as shown by java -version).

To recover your PC from this bug, either re-download and re-install the JRE or disable the SSVHelper Class.

Jhboston

Comment on October 20th, 2007.

I am having this problem. I have version 1.6.0_03. Anyone else having this issue. I am constantly having IE7 hang. I have to manually cancel the executable.
Thanks,

Geir Otto Olsen

Comment on November 1st, 2007.

I am using windows server 2003 x64 terminal server and I am having the same kind of problem. When I run as a administrator it works fine, but if I am a normal user, the IE is killed if I do a verfication of java. I have tryed the version above (1.6.0_02-b06). I assume it has something to do with rights. Anyone haveing a clue of what I should do?

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