Frequently Asked Questions
I'm running Windows XP and visited a Web site with a Java applet and Internet Explorer told me I couldn't run it; what is going on?
Windows XP (the version of Windows XP which Microsoft began shipping in the Fall of 2001) shipped with the Microsoft VM (a piece of software that runs Java applets) as a Web-installable component of the product. Sun Microsystems brought a lawsuit against Microsoft in March, alleging that Microsoft's distribution of the virtual machine in Windows XP over the Web is unlicensed and constitutes copyright infringement. We believe that Sun is wrong about that, but rather than argue about it we disabled the installation of the Microsoft VM on Windows XP machines that didn't already have a Microsoft VM. As discussed in more detail below, we will now be making the VM available by distributing as part of the upcoming Windows XP Service Pack 1 CD.
How can I get the Microsoft VM now?
It is most likely that your system already has the Microsoft VM on it if you are running any operating system other than Windows XP. If you have Windows XP and your computers manufacturer did not preinstall the Microsoft VM, or you did not download the Microsoft VM from Windows Update or https://www.microsoft.com prior to July 10, your system may not have the Microsoft VM on it. To get the Microsoft VM, you will need to install Windows XP Service Pack 1 from the CD when it becomes available. You must install XP SP1 from the CD, since the Microsoft VM will not be included in the Web download of XP Service Pack 1.
If you are a developer and have built an application using Microsoft Visual J++ or the Microsoft SDK for Java, the license grants rights to redistribute the Microsoft VM in conjunction with and as part of your applications. You should consult your end user license agreement to determine the scope of these redistribution rights. More information is provided below for Visual J++ and SDK licensees who need to obtain the most current release of the Microsoft VM.
