VASSAL won't open

[roger-e]

I loaded the new version of VASSAL on my laptop. I got it to open once and was able to do a move. But after closing the program, when I tried to reopen it, nothing happens. I tried via the shortcut, and by clicking on the actual application file. I've gone through the FAQs, and confirmed that I have the 64 bit Java 6 working on my computer. This is the errorlog for VASSAL:

2014-07-27 11:55:39,783 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Starting
2014-07-27 11:55:39,786 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - OS Windows 8 6.2
2014-07-27 11:55:39,786 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Java version 1.6.0_45
2014-07-27 11:55:39,786 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - VASSAL version 3.2.13
2014-07-27 11:55:39,843 [0-AWT-EventQueue-0] INFO VASSAL.launch.ModuleManager - Manager
2014-07-27 11:55:42,777 [0-AWT-EventQueue-0] INFO VASSAL.launch.ModuleManagerWindow - Exiting

I don't know what any of that means.

My computer is running on Windows 8.1.

The remaining thing to check according to the FAQ list is whether the firewall is blocking the loopback. I think my Windows firewall is turned off and the Norton firewall is on. But, I don't know how to check that firewall to see if it's blocking the loopback. I don't see anything in the Norton Manage Firewall that refers to loopback.

[uckelman]

Thus spake roger-e:
> I loaded the new version of VASSAL on my laptop. I got it to open once
> and was able to do a move. But after closing the program, when I tried
> to reopen it, nothing happens. I tried via the shortcut, and by
> clicking on the actual application file. I've gone through the FAQs,
> and confirmed that I have the 64 bit Java 6 working on my computer.
> This is the errorlog for VASSAL:
>
> 2014-07-27 11:55:39,783 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Starting
> 2014-07-27 11:55:39,786 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - OS
> Windows 8 6.2
> 2014-07-27 11:55:39,786 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Java
> version 1.6.0_45
> 2014-07-27 11:55:39,786 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - VASSAL
> version 3.2.13
> 2014-07-27 11:55:39,843 [0-AWT-EventQueue-0] INFO
> VASSAL.launch.ModuleManager - Manager
> 2014-07-27 11:55:42,777 [0-AWT-EventQueue-0] INFO
> VASSAL.launch.ModuleManagerWindow - Exiting

The log shows that 2.994 seconds elapsed between when you started
VASSAL and when it exited. This almost certainly means that it detected
that another instance of VASSAL was already running---i.e., the one
you started first did not exit, despite appearances.

Typically when this happens, you'll be able to start VASSAL once after
each reboot, but not on subsequent tries. After rebooting next, start
VASSAL and then exit it. Then check in the Task Manager whether there
is a java.exe process still running after all of VASSAL's windows are
gone. Is there?

--
J.

[roger-e]

Joel,

As you suggested, I rebooted, and then was able to open VASSAL. Then I "quit" the program and tried to open it again but nothing happened. I checked the Task manager and Java was in the list.

[roger-e]

Ok, rebooted, opened VASSAL, quit it, then checked Task Manager. This is what it showed this time:

Java(TM) Platform Binary

On 7/29/2014 7:45 AM, Joel Uckelman wrote:
> Thus spake Roger Eastep:
>> Joel,
>>
>> As you suggested, I rebooted, and then was able to open VASSAL. Then I
>> "quit" the program and tried to open it again but nothing happened. I
>> checked the Task manager and Java was in the list:
>>
> Whether Java was running after trying to open VASSAL a second time is
> not what I asked you to check. What we need to know is whether Java is
> still running after you've exited VASSAL but *before* you've tried to
> restart it.
>
> (Also: I'm cc'ing this back to the list---you seem to have replied
> only to me.)
>

[uckelman]

Thus spake roger-e:
> Ok, rebooted, opened VASSAL, quit it, then checked Task Manager. This
> is what it showed this time:
>
> Java(TM) Platform Binary

The problem that you're having is that Java is not exiting when you
exit VASSAL, which then prevents you from starting VASSAL a second
time. So far as we can tell, this is due to bug in Java on Windows.

We have at least one example of Java 6 and Java 7 being installed at
once causing the behavior you're seeing:

http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?14@@.ee6f15c/7343

In that case, the solution was to uninstall one of the versions of
Java.

Do you have two versions of Java installed?

--
J.

[roger-e]

No, just the Java 6 apparently.

[uckelman]

Thus spake roger-e:
> No, just the Java 6 apparently.

Try uninstalling and then reinstalling Java. This is one of the few
cases where there's some chance of that helping.

--
J.

[JoelCFC25]

One quick way to see if you have multiple versions of Java installed would be to look at the contents of C:\Program Files\Java on your hard drive. (Note: if you have a 32-bit version of Windows, check this location instead: C:\Program Files (x86)\Java)

If you see multiple folders, that's a pretty solid indication that you have multiple installs.

Another method is to go to the Control Panel and choose "Programs and Features" (this is where you find it in Windows 7, I have never seen Windows 8.1 so I don't know if this is the same or not). Again, if you see multiple listings for Java, that's going to be a problem.

EDIT: Oops, multiple posts since I started writing this.

[roger-e]

Joel, I uninstalled the Java 6 (which is what VASSAL had me install when I loaded VASSAL), and then went to the Java website and downloaded Java 7 which Java said I should have for Windows 8.1. Now VASSAL opens again after I closed it. So it looks like it's working ok. Thanks much!!