Why does JMF 2.1.1e install on Vista and not on XP

Question

I understand that JMF is not supported by Sun. Then why does it install on Vista with no issue but won't install on any of my XP (SP3) systems. All are P4 and above with one being a tablet PC. Each has proven capable of handling 4 live USB camera feeds simultaneously as well as running other things.
My problem is too often repeated in this forum.
On XP I start the install, the files are extracted, Setup.exe, wowexec.exe, and ntvdm.exe are started and that is all that happens. When I check the process list, they are all running (taking no CPU time). If I end the process tree starting with the distribution exe, they all end.
However, if I don't do that and just shutdown, I find that wowexec has to be forced to end and that leaves the 16bit subsystem unstable.
I have tried, no virus scan, running in W2K and. W95 compatibility, terminating everything in the process list I feel comfortable terminating and combinations of several and all of the above but to no avail.
Yet when I installed the exact same distribution package on my Vista systems, all went just fine.
I have even tried hand-installing JMF with little luck.
Oh yes, and I even tried the install and test on VMWare virtual machine Xp and Vista systems with the exact same results. So this is clearly systemic.
I should add that none of the systems are clones but each was individually installed and maintained with different applications installed.
To test, I move the same powered USB hub and 4 attached cameras between the systems. On Vista they are found just fine. On the XP systems, they don't exist as far as Java is concerned. Which is strange as 3 other , non-Java programs, see them without issue on all the systems.
You might ask, well why play with Java. The answer is simple. All of the programs I speak of are proprietary and I need a program I can modify to fit my needs and I have found a skeleton one to work with.
But unless I can get JMF installed on XP, that plan, JMF. and Java will be gone. I simply don't have time for this foollishness.
Regards,
Jim
Edited by: obrienj on Feb 6, 2010 4:06 PM
Edited by: obrienj on Feb 6, 2010 4:10 PM

Answer 1

obrienj wrote:
Could you elaborate on using JWS to install JMF from Vista to XP?Unpack them on Vista. Then you have direct access to the Jars and natives that are used. Deploy those Jars and natives from a server using JWS - that should work for both Vista and XP.
If you go to the logical extremes and also expand the Linux/Unix version, and add the natives to the server/launch, it will also be able to support those systems. The download can be 'partitioned' so that Windows only gets the Windows natives, Linux/Unix gets the Linux/Unix natives. Mac boxes get the core Java JMF only - no natives.
Using JWS, you get to avoid that horrendous 'must reboot' prompt at the end of the native installer. The one time I tested it, I found that to be unnecessary. But there is no way to disable the prompt, AFAIK.
I have no experience with the facility you mention.Deploying using JWS is a big area. For a good overview, see [Deploying a Java Web Start Application|http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/deployment/webstart/deploying.html].
Note that any app. that uses natives must be digitally signed and request all-permissions in the launch file, in order to work. For a self signed certificate, this is a little tricky to design in a build file, then easy to 'stamp out' at build time.
I have some demos, complete with source and build file, that do some of the things mentioned (most notably digitally signing apps.). If you have further questions on webstart, ask more specific questions & I might be able to help out.