Can't Start the Game

[Valdor 1,426]

Hello,

 

Everything was fine and then suddenly out of the blue, I try to connect today and I cannot. While trying to launch the game, I get an Application Error window, stating "Unable to launch the application." When I click on details, I get this:

 

---------------------------

 

java.io.IOException: Invalid Http response
 at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getInputStream0(Unknown Source)
 at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.access$200(Unknown Source)
 at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection$9.run(Unknown Source)
 at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection$9.run(Unknown Source)
 at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
 at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Unknown Source)
 at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getInputStream(Unknown Source)
 at com.sun.deploy.net.HttpUtils.followRedirects(Unknown Source)
 at com.sun.deploy.net.BasicHttpRequest.doRequest(Unknown Source)
 at com.sun.deploy.net.BasicHttpRequest.doGetRequestEX(Unknown Source)
 at com.sun.deploy.cache.ResourceProviderImpl.checkUpdateAvailable(Unknown Source)
 at com.sun.deploy.cache.ResourceProviderImpl.isUpdateAvailable(Unknown Source)
 at com.sun.deploy.cache.ResourceProviderImpl.getResource(Unknown Source)
 at com.sun.deploy.cache.ResourceProviderImpl.getResource(Unknown Source)
 at com.sun.javaws.LaunchDownload$DownloadTask.call(Unknown Source)
 at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(Unknown Source)
 at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(Unknown Source)
 at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source)
 at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
 

-------------------------------

 

This happens no matter how I try to start the game, via desktop icon, or via website. Can anyone shed some light on what may have happened? I have ran a defragmenter yesterday and the disk cleanup utility. I tested my Java version and it's current. I am on Vista.

[Brash_Endeavors 4,735]

Of it were me I would try restarting my modem/router then restart the computer and try it again.

 

Also try going to Control Panel > Java > Network Settings. Try both "Direct Connection" and "use browser setting", see if eithe rone make a difference.

 

Are you connecting from home or work or school? What part of the world? (Australia, Europe, North America etc). Sometimes certain parts of the world seem to have difficulty connecting to the hetzner servers.

[Valdor 1,426]

Hmm, restarting didn't solve anything and for some reason, I don't seem to have a Java folder in my Control Panel. I'll have to track it down.

 

From the error report it seems to me, however, that the issue is that the Java application on my computer - the one for Wurm - either changed locations or names and no icon or way of starting the game seems to be able to access it. It has to do with the defragmenting or the disk cleanup, I think, as those are the only things I did since I used Wurm last.

[Valdor 1,426]

Well, I found the Java Control Panel and did as Brash suggested. No change. I then deleted Wurm as per the guidelines in the Wikipedia (http://www.wurmpedia.com/index.php/Uninstall). Still can't launch the game. Except now, when I get the Application Error and click for details, I get a different exception. I am told "Unable to load resource: http://www.wurmonline.com/client/wurmclient.jar". The exception reads:

 

------------------------------

com.sun.deploy.net.FailedDownloadException: Unable to load resource: http://www.wurmonline.com/client/wurmclient.jar
 at com.sun.deploy.net.DownloadEngine.actionDownload(Unknown Source)
 at com.sun.deploy.net.DownloadEngine.downloadResource(Unknown Source)
 at com.sun.deploy.cache.ResourceProviderImpl.getResource(Unknown Source)
 at com.sun.deploy.cache.ResourceProviderImpl.getResource(Unknown Source)
 at com.sun.javaws.LaunchDownload$DownloadTask.call(Unknown Source)
 at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(Unknown Source)
 at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(Unknown Source)
 at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source)
 at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
-------------------------------

 

Resetting modem and connections didn't seem to help. What in the world is going on...

[Brash_Endeavors 4,735]

My nly other suggesion is a lot of work and it may not be necessary so wait until you are desperate and willing to try anything,

 

 

Go to Control Panel, Programs, sort by name, look for any Wurm installations, uninstall them all (we want it completely out of your registry. Do not reinstall quite yet.  

 

Also in Control Panel > Programs, uninstall Java. Do not reinstall quite yet.

 

Now do a hard drive scan for errors and damaged disks: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/check-your-hard-disk-for-errors

 

Select both  Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors

 

Maybe also run a good reputable registry cleaner 

 

We do not want to reintsall the programs until we think your hard drives have no bad sections. 

 

Now reinstall a squaky fresh install of both Wurm and Java (my suggestion is to ONLY grab 64-btt if you are on 64-bit OS, unless you have some compelling reason to need 32-bit). There WILL be a long download for Wurm to get all the full packs again, but at this stage you need a really squeaky clean install.

 

A thorough hard drive scan for physical errors/bad sectors is not fast with today's larger disks. Maybe best done whikle at work/sleeping. 

Edited March 17, 2015 by Brash_Endeavors

[Valdor 1,426]

Well, here is a quick update on my situation.

 

I have done some tests and I have discovered that the problem is with Java 8 and my system. It seems to work perfectly, with the execption of any Java Web Start application. I launches JNLPs fine, but every time they try to load the program, the same error pops up (as quoted in the exception in my above post). None of them can make the connection to the host and launch the program. It happens for every JNLP I come across, as far as I know. I have updated Java recently and it must have been it. It's very strange, however, that I am the only person having his problem, as I can't be the only one with Java 8 and Vista here. Still, it turns out that when Java 7 came out, the same thing happened to some people. I did some investigating and came up with a workaround solution.

 

I downloaded the JNLP file for Wurm to my desktop and just edited it, to make my own private Wurm launcher. I added one line to the code and then saved it on my desktop. Here is what I added:

 

<j2se
            href="http://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se"
            version="1.6+"
            java-vm-args="-Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=true"
            initial-heap-size="512M"
            max-heap-size="1024M"
        />

 

The line in red needed to be added. This forces the webstart application to force it into the IPv4 connection. After this change, it's possible to launch Wurm with this edited application. Note, however, that this is NOT a solution, just a workaround. The conventional means of starting Wurm (or any Java program that uses the WebStart protocol) still won't work. This also means that every time there is a patch for Wurm, I'll need to redo the whole thing again - dowload the new JNLP and edit it again as above, before saving it.

 

So, right now, I know what is causing the problem but I still don't know why. To use any Web Start Java apps I will have to manually edit each one I am attempting to run. Or - and I believe this may work as well - just keep editing the hosts file in the Window's directory (I have not tried this though). Still, this is just a workaround and a manual one at that. So, I'll have to keep doing more research here to find out how to actually fix that problem properly. But for now, however, I can launch Wurm, which is a temporary silver lining.

 

If anyone has any more info on the above problem, or some theories, I am all ears.

[Valdor 1,426]

More updates, in case someone is following this thread or finds himself/herself with a similar problem.

 

I have found the culprit. It's Windows Firewall.

 

It appears that Windows Firewall is blocking IPv6 connections, but not the IPv4 connections. At least in my Vista buid, which is the most recent. Since most Web Start applications will look for IPv6 as default, none of them get through and thus the above error. Adding the line in red in my above post to the Wurm startup file forces the program to bypass this problem, but it's just a very non-handy workaround. Now that I know what is causing the entire problem, I will do more testing with the Widows Firewall settings and will post my solution soon.

[ago 470]

best use a shortcut

javaws.exe -J-Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=true http://www.wurmonline.com/client/wurmclient.jnlp

Editing the jnlp starter is a sure way to cause more problems when a new client version requires a new jnlp.

[Valdor 1,426]

Good point, Ago. I'll use that instead, till I figure out how to defeat Windows Firewall without disabling it.

[tclunatic 69]

Good luck Valdor

[Valdor 1,426]

Well, I have exhausted all the ways of making Windows Firewall open up to Java Web Start applications (and by extension Wurm). No matter what I do, the IPv6 connection gets blocked. Adding the Java binary to the exceptions didn't help. Adding the javaws.exe didn't help either. I can probably enable the port to Wurm, but that's not a complete solution (and I haven't tried it either, so just a guess). The only thing left is to disable Windows Firewall. In case someone is following this thread or runs into a similar problem in the future, I will post my solution below.

[Valdor 1,426]

SOLUTION:

The only solution to the above problem that I found is to disable Windows Firewall. If you have a third party virus protection program (which almost all Vista and Windows7 users will have), check if the firewall in that software is enabled. Once it is, it's not a problem to disable Windows Firewall.

 

WORKAROUND:

If for some reason you don't have virus protection (in which case get it fast), or your third party virus protection program doesn't come with a firewall, or you are unwilling to disable Windows Firewall, you can still start Wurm by going to your Start Menu and typing "Cmd" in the search box at the bottom. A black window will open with a comand prompt. Paste the following string into that window:

 

javaws.exe -J-Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=true http://www.wurmonline.com/client/wurmclient.jnlp

 

This will load Wurm directly from the server, checking for all the new updates as the game should. Note that this is only a workaround and I strongly suggest getting a reliable firewall up, so that you can use the above solution instead.