Unable to Load Vassal Win 8

Technical Support & Bugs
1

Symptoms:
Suddenly couldn’t load Vassal.
Checked Java, didn’t have 2 versions installed.
Reinstalled Vassal.
No improvement, after 30 seconds it stops trying to load.
System Info:
Model: HP15
OS: Windows 8.1
CPU: Intel Celeron CPU N2920
Memory: 4GB
Video: Intel 10.18.10.3408
VASSAL: 3.2.17.0
Java: 1.8.0_151
Module: None

Vassal Error Log (entire):
2018-02-06 19:58:58,939 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Starting
2018-02-06 19:58:58,954 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - OS Windows 8.1 6.3
2018-02-06 19:58:58,954 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Java version 1.8.0_151
2018-02-06 19:58:58,954 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - VASSAL version 3.2.17
2018-02-06 19:58:59,298 [0-AWT-EventQueue-0] INFO VASSAL.launch.ModuleManager - Manager
2018-02-06 19:59:00,720 [0-main] ERROR VASSAL.tools.ErrorDialog -
java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Malformed \uxxxx encoding.
at java.util.Properties.loadConvert(Unknown Source) ~[na:1.8.0_151]
at java.util.Properties.load0(Unknown Source) ~[na:1.8.0_151]
at java.util.Properties.load(Unknown Source) ~[na:1.8.0_151]
at VASSAL.preferences.Prefs.read(Prefs.java:192) ~[Vengine.jar:na]
at VASSAL.preferences.Prefs.(Prefs.java:74) ~[Vengine.jar:na]
at VASSAL.preferences.Prefs.getGlobalPrefs(Prefs.java:271) ~[Vengine.jar:na]
at VASSAL.launch.ModuleManager.(ModuleManager.java:352) ~[Vengine.jar:na]
at VASSAL.launch.ModuleManager.main(ModuleManager.java:183) ~[Vengine.jar:na]

Your kind assistance is much appreciated.

2

Thus spake jcbeard:

Symptoms:
Suddenly couldn’t load Vassal.
Checked Java, didn’t have 2 versions installed.
Reinstalled Vassal.
No improvement, after 30 seconds it stops trying to load.

System Info:
Model: HP15
OS: Windows 8.1
CPU: Intel Celeron CPU N2920
Memory: 4GB
Video: Intel 10.18.10.3408
VASSAL: 3.2.17.0
Java: 1.8.0_151
Module: None

Vassal Error Log (entire):
2018-02-06 19:58:58,939 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Starting
2018-02-06 19:58:58,954 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - OS
Windows 8.1 6.3
2018-02-06 19:58:58,954 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Java
version 1.8.0_151
2018-02-06 19:58:58,954 [0-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - VASSAL
version 3.2.17
2018-02-06 19:58:59,298 [0-AWT-EventQueue-0] INFO
VASSAL.launch.ModuleManager - Manager
2018-02-06 19:59:00,720 [0-main] ERROR VASSAL.tools.ErrorDialog -
java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Malformed \uxxxx encoding.

Your prefs/V_Global file is corrupted. (Look for the prefs directory in
the same directory as the errorLog.) Try renaming V_Global (rather than
deleting it, as there may be something in it you want to keep).

–
J.