Dell Dimension XPS D300 Intel Pentium 2 designed for Windows 95, I'm running 98 SE and Firefox.
It has been running great up until two weeks ago, considering it is twelve years old. It was running slow and I couldn't get it to run scandisk or defragmenter. So I reinstalled Windows. Everything else perked right back to normal, except Java. The Java icon is still in control panel, but when I click it to open it I get this error message:

The system cannot find the registry key specified:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Runtime Environment\1.5.0_06

I have tried to reload Java from where I stored it the last time I loaded it a couple of years ago. It doesn't do anything, no error message or anything. If I am on a page that requires Java and Firefox prompts me to install it, the installation fails. I have tried several times to get different versions from the Java website, but when I try to load them, they don't do anything. The only other recent changes besides reloading Windows have been a Firefox update (2.0.0.9) which I kept, and I signed up for Del.icio.us which I have since deleted.
Has anyone run into this before?

So none of you computer wizards know anything about Java?

Well, I would try to completely remove the old Java from the control panel --> add/remove programs.

When all things with "Java" in the name are removed, go to www.java.com and follow the download link on top of the page.

Now, my Firefox usually complains about Java not being compatible whenever it updates itself. I have never had a problem with running any Java programs from websites through Firefox though... So I'm not sure what the error message is about.

Is there a certain application or website you are trying to view and it craps out on you? Besides trying to get to it by the icon in the control panel, what other problems are you having with Java?

NFL dot com is the page I notice the problem on, plus the weather radar map on NOAA. Both sites prompt me to install Java. The weather map is just a big white box with the Rubick'* cube logo on it mocking me, jeering at me with it'* message: "Click here to download Java." On NFL dot com there is a cartoon or something in the header that won't display. I don't remember what it is because I can't see it.

First I tried to install it through the browser prompt and the installation failed.
Then I tried to install Java from where I downloaded it a couple of years ago, and it didn't do anything. No error message, nothing. After each attempt I would go to the Java site and attempt to verify installation. It always prompted me to install it again.
I have tried everything you have suggested already and I keep getting the same results. I even wrote down the instructions from the Java site and followed them to the letter. I have deleted all Java folders etc. and attempted to reload it and keep getting the same results, when I double click the "setup" icon, the cursor changes from an arrow to an hourglass for about three seconds and then turns back to an arrow. Nothing else happens.

Know what I didn't think of? You have Windows 98, so the latest version might not work. Check this out:

Platform(*):
Windows 2000 (SP4+), Windows XP (SP1 SP2), Vista, Windows 2003
http://www.java.com/en/download/help/6000010400.xml

It doesn't list Windows 98 as being compatible. That doesn't mean it isn't, but here'* an alternative. Try downloading the Java Virtual Machine and see if that helps. I know for sure that should be compatible with Win98SE. It'* basically Microsoft'* version of Java. I believe it still should work everywhere that regular Java does...

These links should work. I tried the first one, and I could download it from there.

http://www.saigoninfo.com/msjavx86.exe
http://www.meetingworks.com/files/msjavx86.exe
http://www.linktivity.com/home/java/msjavx86.exe
http://visiteinteractive.free.fr/VM_java/msjavx86.exe
http://www.laplink.com/download/pcsy...e/msjavx86.exe

I hope that fixes your problem.

Java.