Error while loading application

Question

Hi,
I'm not sure this is the right forum, but I try anyway.
I'm trying to use a 3rd party Java application Unico (just use it, I don't develop anything of that) that after working for weeks, suddenly refuses to load at startup, and returns an error like "Error while loading application" (no error code number no other hint about the problem).
The tests that did not work: 1. I installed the Unico again, 2. I created a new login and installed Unico in that login, 3. I started in safe mode (pressing shift at startup) - I always had the same message and loading aborted.
The only workaround I found is to use an external startup disk, that I fortunately had available to face cases like this: when starting the system up from that disk Unico WORKS, not only, but I can even use the same application in my internal disk that does not load otherwise.
My first conclusion is that something wrong happened to my system on the startup disk that prevents loading a Java application. The user Library seems to make no difference.
So my questions to the Java experts are:
- what in the system could suddenly block the loading of a Java application ? where should I look in the system (I can use the terminal and know something about UNIX) to fix this ? could this be caused by a permission problem ? (it looks a lot alike, but repairing permissions in Disk Utility didn't help) if so where are the Java support files stored in the Library and System Library to check and compare between the good and the bad system ?
- is there a better workaround to this problem, other than starting up from a different disk ?
Some additional info:
- the application Unico is freely provided by the Italian tax organization, so there is basically no support to use it...
- Unico requires Java 1.3.1: my system is constantly updated/upgraded and it runs the most recent release that is 1.4.0 (I guess...) and anyway worked very well till a week ago.
- since the last time the application had worked I installed two (non Apple) packages: the TomTom (GPS navigator) setup application, and new Epson printer drivers for my new printer.
- in all cases I repaired permissions and I also verified the disk with the disk utility
- Unico does not uses printers (it creates pdf files instead) and does not use USB, which in turn is used by both the Epson driver and the TomTom app.
So I cannot connect the Unico malfunctioning to this new SW except for the fact that I cannot find any other answer...
Thanks to anybody having any suggestion about
Piero

Answer 1

I made some research: it seems to me that most (if not all) the Java machine is in the /System/Library/Framework/JavaVM.framework folder: but I found no evident difference in the file permissions between the good and the bad system (see my previous posts).
There are other locations where there are java related files: eg in Javaconfig.plist (in /System/Library/Java) that seems to name the locations for all components of the java machine. I checked some files in /usr/bin referenced in the .plist: again no difference.
Something "could" be a clue; just before the crashing point the Unico (java) program causes a message in the Console:
"[JavaAppLauncher Warning] Specifying a specific version for JVMVersion 1.3.1 is deprecated. Use the more general 1.3* instead."
This would be a clue... except that this message appears also when the program loads without problem (in the "good" system where it works). So it is more a warning.
Another clue is the message that appears in the console in the "good" system when the Unico loads correctly; and this seems really an error message (whateve it means):
"Index 1 for 'pxm#' 2062 out of range (must be between 0 and 0)
Attempted to read past end of 'pxm#'(2062) resource"
The funny thing is that when this message appears, Unico loads with no probem, while in the "bad" system it doesn't even get to this point.
So in my opinion both messages are irrilevant to identify the problem.
Or not ?
And again my main question is: what in the system could suddenly block the loading of a Java application ?
Thanks for any hint
Piero