Windows – Java 7 update 6 installation fails on Windows 7 when Chrome is default browser

I am configuring a brand new Lenovo U410 system with Windows 7 Home Premium for a user. I received the system direct from the shop. As part of the configuration I installed Java using the online installer. This worked correctly.

Later, due to a mistake I made, I needed to restore the system to factory default. The factory default FORMATS C:\ and puts back (supposedly) the exact factory configuration. However, after doing this, I was no longer able to install Java successfully using the same method I used before.

Now, whenever I attempt to use the online Java installer, the following happens. First of all, a window always appears "Welcome to Java", "Downloading Java Installer…". After short time this window disappears and then one of three things happens:

1. The very first time I do this after doing a factory reset, I get a Windows error report, which contains this information:

   Application Name: JavaSetup7u5.exe
   Application Version: 7.0.50.6
   Application Timestamp: 4feacd84
   Fault Module Name: JavaIC.dll
   Fault Module Version: 9.9.9.9
   Fault Module Timestamp: 4f2343d6
   Exception Offset: 000052cb
   Exception Code: c0000417
   Exception Data: 00000000
   OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.768.3
   Locale ID: 1033
   Additional Information 1: 773c
   Additional Information 2: 773cd78cf06816f8246f359fa270f3bb
   Additional Information 3: f51a
   Additional Information 4: f51aaea7d22f36fa9e3a626b5a5cd1c3

   2. Subsequent runs produce either this error message:

   "Error: Java(TM) installer – Downloaded file C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Temp\fx-runtime.exe is corrupt."

   or




2. Nothing happens at all. I Believe this is a red herring. Running the installer again causes a different error because the files were downloaded and the installer crashed before it could clean up. This isn't the actual problem, as when this happens the installer deletes the downloaded files, and then when you run it for the third time, it downloads everything again and does the javaic.dll crash. I suspect the downloader is appending to the existing files or something, causing the corruption.

I have tried all of the above as Administrator and as a normal user. I have tried reseting the system to factory defaults several times. I have tried downloading with Chrome and Internet Explorer 9. I have tried uninstalling all anti-virus software and disabling the windows firewall entirely. The only thing which makes a difference is running the installer in Windows XP compatibility mode, which allows the installation to complete.

I know I can workaround this error by using the offline installer so please don't post that as an answer. I am looking for an explanation of the root cause. Additionally, if I use the offline installer, the updater does not work. The updater also does not work if I install in XP mode. The updater fails because it works by just downloading the newest online setup and running it.

Also remember that the installers are digitally signed. The signitures verify correctly so there is no way in hell that this is caused by corrupted downloads.

Some theories I have:

• The Java setup files on java.com actually changed in between the first successful install and my later attempts. Seems unlikely as none of the version numbers have changed. However, I have seen a couple of reports of this error which showed up in the past 24 hours.
  This looks like the most likely explanation right now: http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/1735645 – Oracle released 7 update 6 two days ago. Careful inspection of the installers reveal that they are in fact attempting to download .6, not .5 as the download page claims. Not actually correct. Only the update tool tries to install 7u6. The online installer still tries 7u5. However, 7u6 being released two days ago is too much of a coincidence to ignore. Update: The 7u6 online installer is available from Oracle technetwork. It crashes in exactly the same way.

• The factory reset software uses GMT-8 and I am on GMT-1. As a result, after factory reset, any software which cares to check would think that the system was restored 7 hours in the future, due to Window's awful policy of storing local time in the system clock. This could be confusing a certificate check or similar. Update: I discovered that this does cause Windows Update to fail. The workaround, setting the clock back before starting factory reset, does not enable Java to install correctly.

• The factory reset image isn't really the same as what is installed in the main partition when you buy the system. Naughty Lenovo.

• The installer appears to crash while installing or displaying something to do with the Ask.com toolbar. That seems to be what javaic.dll does.

• Microsoft Tuesday was the 14th. Some update in that could be causing this. However, I'm factory reseting the machine every time, so unless the patches get slipstreamed into the recovery image, or there is some mechanism by which they get silently installed even if updates are disabled, then I don't see how this can be the cause.

Major breakthrough:

The default browser on Lenovo systems is Google Chrome. I noticed that the JavaIC.dll "sponsor check" actually does a check on your default browser in order to decide which sponsor ad to display. Normally that would get you the Ask toolbar on IE9. But that toolbar doesn't work on Chrome, and so the installer tries to display a different ad. The different ad is what causes the crash. Changing the default browser to IE9 allows the installer to run correctly. So this looks like a genuine bug in the sponsor ad code in the installer, caused by a combination of Google Chrome default browser and not being in the US. (Installer also checks your location using IP geolocation service and displays different ads based on that.)