Unable to use ProcessBuilder on Vista, Works on Linux, XP, etc

Question

Hello, I support an application on many different platforms, and I am running into a problem with Vista. The code works on every combination I have tested (Mac, Linux, various flavors of Windows) except MS Vista and IE7. It even works on both WinXP and IE7 and MS VIsta and Firefox. Unfortunately this is old code and I didn't write it so I'm not sure what to do. It was using RunTime.exec() and I updated it to ProcessBuilder.start() but it has the same symptoms. The symptoms are that instead of the input and output being redirected, a console window is launched and used instead.
String command = slaunch + " " + appName + " " + app + " " + _debug;
Process p = new ProcessBuilder(command.split(" ")).start();
BufferedInputStream stdout = new BufferedInputStream(p.getInputStream());
BufferedInputStream stderr = new BufferedInputStream(p.getErrorStream());
boolean keeprunning = true;
String out = "";
String err = "";
int exitvalue = 0;
while(keeprunning) {
try {
exitvalue = p.exitValue();
keeprunning = false;
Thread.sleep(300);
} catch(IllegalThreadStateException itse) {}
try { Thread.sleep(100); } catch(Exception e) {}
int available = stdout.available();
if(available > 0) {
byte[] buf = new byte[available];
stdout.read(buf);
out = out + new String(buf);
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am very tempted to tell my Vista users to just use Firefox, but that would go over like a lead balloon.
James

Answer 1

Also, your current code is weird. See below.
public class Bear{
  public void method(){
    String command = slaunch + " " + _appName + " " + _app + " " + _debug;
    Process p = new ProcessBuilder(command.split(" ")).start();
    BufferedInputStream stdout = new BufferedInputStream(p.getInputStream());
    BufferedInputStream stderr = new BufferedInputStream(p.getErrorStream());
    boolean keeprunning = true;
    String out = "";
    String err = "";
    int exitvalue = 0;
    while (keeprunning) { // ????? what's the sense of it?
      try {
        exitvalue = p.exitValue(); // use waitFor() instead
        keeprunning = false; // ?????
        Thread.sleep(300); // ?????
      catch (IllegalThreadStateException itse) {
      try {
        Thread.sleep(100); // ?????
      catch(Exception e) {
      int available = stdout.available(); // never use available()
      if(available > 0) { // ????? no use
        byte[] buf = new byte[available];
        stdout.read(buf);
        out = out + new String(buf);
//--- a standard code ----
      String line;
      try {
        BufferedReader br
         = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(p.getInputStream()));
        exitvalue = p.waitFor();
        while ((line = br.readLine()) != null){
          out += line;
      catch(Exception e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
//-------------------------