Windows XP and java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: Console

Question

Our company is currently using a web page to launch a java applet that redirect the user to an application server to demo our product. This has been and still is working fine for all Windows version until XP. And depending on which version of XP, sometimes it will work and sometime it won't. The link to the web site to launch the applet is http://www.aasys.com/gs_java/iejava.htm if you wish to test it.
It should take you to a screen asking for a security code which we would provide to our customers. If you get this far it is working.
Any suggestion would be helpful.
Thanks.
DP Grose
Below is the error message we get on some of the Windows XP versions :
Java(TM) Plug-in: Version 1.4.2
Using JRE version 1.4.2 Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM
User home directory = C:\Documents and Settings\Don
Proxy Configuration: No proxy
c: clear console window
f: finalize objects on finalization queue
g: garbage collect
h: display this help message
l: dump classloader list
m: print memory usage
o: trigger logging
p: reload proxy configuration
q: hide console
r: reload policy configuration
s: dump system properties
t: dump thread list
v: dump thread stack
x: clear classloader cache
0-5: set trace level to <n>
java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: Console
at java.lang.Class.getDeclaredConstructors0(Native Method)
at java.lang.Class.privateGetDeclaredConstructors(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Class.getConstructor0(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Class.newInstance0(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Class.newInstance(Unknown Source)
at sun.applet.AppletPanel.createApplet(Unknown Source)
at sun.plugin.AppletViewer.createApplet(Unknown Source)
at sun.applet.AppletPanel.runLoader(Unknown Source)
at sun.applet.AppletPanel.run(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

Answer 1

Your first option we are currently looking at but have not tested it yet. We would prefer the end user not to have to do this, but they may have to in the end.
Your second option seems the best route to go and we may be able to get the source code from our vendor. Once this is compiled under 1.4.2 will it still be compatable with the older version of MS JVM or will our users need to download the current Java plugin? Since this the way that Java is proceeding this will most likely work for everyone.
Thanks.