DNS/DHCP Management Console doesn't start

Question

Folks,
I am running the DNS/DHCP Management Console in an old Windows XP Pro SP2 computer, and it works fine. But when I install it in my XP Pro SP3 computer it refuses to start. It stucks at the welcome screen with the globe animation and doesn't go any further. And there is also no apparent program or process to kill in the Task Manager, and the CPU util is zero. I have to log out and back in again to get rid of the welcome screen.
I am wondering if it may have something to do with the Java Runtime Environment (JRE)? I am using the latest version in my SP3 machine, where it doesn't work, and a much older version in my SP2 machine, where it works. I have not upgraded Java in that machine because I am afraid that the Management Console might stop working... If Java is the source of the problem, is it impossible to get it to work with a newer Java?
PJ

Answer 1

I wrote a TID on this, but it hasn't shown up yet. It is TID 7016049
As I am still waiting for it to show up on the public site, I will populate the resolution portion of the TID here. Hope it helps:
Despite uninstalling all older versions of Java, a remnant of the old install still exists. The offending file is javaw.exe, but there may also be a java.exe in the same location.
In the C:\Windows\SysWOW64 directory there may be a javaw.exe and java.exe from a previous installation. Check the properties > details tab of the file to confirm the version. If this javaw.exe is found first then Windows is directed to look in the wrong location in the registry for the Java Runtime Environment key. Once removed the javaw.exe from C:\Program Files\Java\JRE1.8.0_25\bin directory is found, which sends Windows down the correct path to find the necessary key in the registry.
Once the older version of javaw.exe is removed, the JMC should load.
The SysWOW64 directory is for 64-bit machines. If this error is being encountered on a 32 bit machine, then the superfluous javaw.exe must be found and removed. Process Monitor for Windows can be downloaded and utilized to track down the superfluous javaw.exe. As the java.exe is also superfluous, we recommend removing it to (or copy it out to a backup directory until testing is complete).