[SOLVED] Another strange problem I've never seen before

[Kirby]

I have one computer that has something messed up (Windows 10, bit surprise) where when I run the Java installer it opens dozens of IE windows, which immediately close. It happens with the offline or online installers. Originally I had to hit an "Allow" or "Deny" button for each one (to display the content), but I checked the box not to ask again.

The windows are all blank and all go away immediately. Eventually the installer comes up with a totally blank window. As near as I can figure what it going on the installer for Java uses some IE functions to display the setup screen and for some reason it is trying to open each component in a separate IE window instead of showing it on the installer. I have no idea what would cause this, though.

What I've done:
I've run a Tweaking.com Windows Repair with no change (because it does the SFC and DISM commands). The computer originally came in because it gets a fake tech support screen multiple times a week, although the customer admitted that may have something to do with the sites he frequents. It did have a bunch of "Proxy" lists in HijackThis (yes, I'm still using it), most of which couldn't be removed due to permissions. The owner was either System or Trusted Installer and everyone else, including Administrator, had only Read access. I took ownership of each registry entry one by one to delete them. I've also run JRT, ADWCleaner and Norton Power Eraser. Not much in the first two, nothing in the last one.

 

[Diggs]

Why IE? Default is Edge. So is the problem calling the default browser up or IE by name? You may game some insight by changing the default on the browser to see if it changes anything.

 

[Kirby]

The default browser is Firefox. I assume that it's IE because Windows uses IE/Explorer in the background for a lot of its APIs. The Java installer probably doesn't use a background image and two buttons (Install and Cancel) like you would expect, but rather likely displays dynamic content through an API that uses the IE/Explorer engine to render it. That's my guess, anyway.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Probably not related but I just fixed a system where javaws.exe was spawning hundreds of processes. Updated Java using PatchMyPC and the update removed a previous version and the problem stopped. Have you checked for previous Java versions still on the computer? Also, I'd suggest an offline scan for viruses/malware.

 

[nlinecomputers]

It's Windows 10. Nuke and pave it. You can rebuild those units so fast it not worth messing with a fubar'd system.

 

[Kirby]

It's not a good solution here. He has some software on it which he can't get again. Some kind of investment software he can't find support for any more that he just loves. My eyes glazed over when he was talking about it because he again explained to me some "50/50" investing concept where half your money is in the market and the other half is in cash and once a month or whatever you look at the market and adjust it back to 50/50 and pretty much can't not make money, but the gist of it is if I nuke this computer his software is gone forever.

 

[Kirby]

Yay! Whatever he was babbling about yesterday doesn't apply to this computer. It's a nuke with nothing to save!

Just informational here, since I deduced that it possibly had something to do with APIs, I installed all VC redistributable files. No effect. Didn't do .NET. I did get Java installed through the command prompt (32 bit) with a config file to make it silent. The 64 bit version would ask for permission to run, then just kind of silently disappear from the Task Manager. I'm thinking it probably had some infection really burrowed in or something, though I usually see at least some sign something is on it. A startup task, a running process starting with a ? in one of my programs...something. Nothing like that here. No clue, but if you ever have this issue, whatever I did doesn't work.

 

[Kirby]

Okay, I've just run into this problem again on another computer, so it's no longer a "nuke and pave" thing. When I run into the same problem over and over it's time to find an actual fix.

In this particular case when I run the Java offline installer 2 IE windows open, each one asking permission to run content. Each of the 2 windows asks twice and each of the requests is for an HTML file in the Java temp folder that's created for installation. I deny both and then I can close the IE windows. When that is done I'm left with a completely white Java installation window with no content in it, just the normal Windows API generated buttons (Minimize, Close, etc.)

So now I am more sure than ever that Java is attempting to use some API to display HTML content but for some reason that content is instead attempting to open in Internet Explorer, specifically. I'm pretty sure the last time I tried uninstalling and reinstalling all the VC++ distribution packages. There must be some registry key causing this. I didn't mention it the first time, but like the last time it is a Windows 10 installation.

Obviously nobody here knows how to fix this, but is anyone familiar with the method Java is using to display the install screen? Or the language the Java package is written in (this one is probably no help at this point, but who knows)? I would bet money there's a registry key or two I need to fix which determines how the computer handles HTML content meant to be displayed within a program's window instead of a browser.

 

[NJW]

Is this any good?

 

[Kirby]

No, I tried that the last time. The symptoms here are actually a little different that these. What is happening is that it is opening the file "Welcome.html" found within the Java EXE file in Internet Explorer externally instead of embedded into the installer. It is supposed to handle the HTML internally and display it in the installer window, but instead it is opening that HTML file in an external program. The content never makes it to the installer screen.

There is a Windows API (maybe several) that allows you to display HTML content within your program instead of opening it in a browser. Something is broken so that API is, instead, opening IE to display the content. It's always IE, regardless what the defaults are set to. That is because the Windows API is using IE to display the content internally, but it's supposed to stay within the program itself and not open externally. It's not even supposed to look like IE.

A little diagnostics info, I have tried resetting Internet Options, making a new account, resetting defaults. None of that change anything. Currently on this machine it opens 2 IE windows. For each one I have to click "Cancel" twice when it asks me if I want to allow the content to run. I click it once, another one opens, I click it again, nothing else opens and I can close the IE window. Each one does the same thing. If I click "Allow" it just keeps opening confirmation windows for a while. Each confirmation is for "C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Temp\JRE_8u111...<the whole file name>\Welcome.html". It's always Welcome.html, even though it's 2 separate IE windows it opens simultaneously.

So what is apparently happening is that whatever API Java is using is damaged. It's not displaying the content internal to the program, but opening external IE windows instead, where security is much tighter and if I click to always allow like I did last time it will open and close dozens of separate windows, but still ending in a blank Java window.

I assume the fix will either be repairing one or more registry keys or possibly re-registering one or more DLL files. It's just a matter of finding out which keys to repair or which files to register.

EDIT: Interestingly, the 64 bit version of the Java offline installer opens only a single IE window with 2 notices to cancel instead of the 2 IE Windows the 32 bit installer opens.

 

[Kirby]

I've had to give up on this one again for now. I just don't have the time right now to figure it out. I will keep looking into it, though, and I have a bug report in with the Java people.