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How to get rid of the anoying syntax error popup message when using Internet Explorer with Java so your mother-in-law will stop buggin’ you about it

Quite some time ago I encountered this error the first time, to be honest i can not even remember when it was. But I do know it was Windows 7 and Internet Explorer fully updated, together with the current Java runtime environment that gave me the problem, but I am getting ahead of myself.

Problem description:

  • Using Internet Explorer, Windows 7 and Java Runtime Environment – all updated to latest editions on completely clean installations
  • On all webpages loading Java the following error message appears twice (x2, two times, 2 times).
    Title: “Microsoft JScript compilation er…”.
    Error message: “Syntax error”.

Extra bonus information:

  • I have experienced this problem on Windows 7 with and without service packs, Internet Explorer 8 and 9
  • Usually the problem appears from “birth” with default settings
  • Settings in Internet Explorer for showing errors, debugging scripts, etc. are all set to default i.e. not to anoy the user
  • The error always comes two times and has absolutely no usefull information
  • The Java application works fine without any errors, the only error is the actual message about the error and yes it is realy anoying

So to continue… I trawled thru endless suggestions for how to fix this problem the first time I had the problem and I believe I was at page 3 in Google before I found something that finally worked. The solution is incredibly simple and apparently seems to have absolutely nothing to do with the problem or Java. But what realy anoyed me was that I later had this problem on my new IBM laptop, with everything completely fresh installed, and I could not remember the fix! and again it took me forever to find the solution. So this time I am writing a blog about it, so I can find the solution next time I forget it. I also assume the problem comes due to Java trying to use this setting but fails – I have no idea who has the actual problem, Windows, IE or Java, but it puzzles me the problem still exists this long after I first saw it.

Solution:

  • In Internet Explorer -> Tools -> Internet Options -> Connections -> LAN Settings
  • Clear the checkbox in “Automatically detect settings”

Thats it!

Posted in Bugs and Fixes, Microsoft, Tips & Tricks | Tags: , , ,

51 Responses to “How to get rid of the anoying syntax error popup message when using Internet Explorer with Java so your mother-in-law will stop buggin’ you about it”

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  • Roy:
    14. June 2011 at 08:38

    Thanks :):) It works.

  • Meeester P:
    8. July 2011 at 14:14

    OMG! What on earth…?
    Thank you! It’s so easy when you know how…
    Stoopid computers.

  • Norberto:
    12. August 2011 at 18:23

    I thank you very much for yuor help,it really was very annoing to see that errror every time I was using internet explorer with java aplication.thank you so much,keep up.

  • Coincident:
    22. August 2011 at 20:22

    I’ve found this “fix” elsewhere before, but it did NOT fix the problem.
    I’ve done that, but the messages keep appearing for no reason.

    I don’t even use IE at all, just firefox.
    I still get this problem both in Win XP and Win 7 – even when firefox is closed.
    Uninstalling Java solves the problem, but obviously I need Java.

    What’s the true fix to this problem?

  • Sole:
    7. September 2011 at 11:35

    I am not sure what you mean about the true fix.
    This fix works for me on several computers, so if it does not for you, then probally you have another problem.
    This problem seems to be Java using the computers general proxy settings and having problems with a setting here.

  • Nadi:
    16. October 2011 at 22:01

    Thank you very much!
    Had this problem on my brand new HP laptop with Win 7 bought yesterday.
    It was fricking me out for a whole day.
    Thanks a lot.

  • Sole:
    27. October 2011 at 22:52

    I had to endure more than a day, but happy it helped 🙂

  • Pat Kirk:
    13. November 2011 at 04:29

    Thank you sir….i have tried everything and your solution worked…ty from the bottom of my heart…those syntax error boxes were so annoying

  • Pat:
    23. January 2012 at 21:16

    Thank you thank you thank you!!!

  • Bob:
    18. February 2012 at 00:09

    Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • roger:
    6. March 2012 at 23:32

    Thank you- works like a charm.

  • Gavin:
    27. June 2012 at 10:13

    Fantastic, thank you very much for publishing this blog, this issue was driving me insane!

  • Bill C.:
    20. August 2012 at 09:52

    Brilliant sir! It has been annoying my wife and me for ages. Thankyou!

  • Thwim:
    28. August 2012 at 03:55

    Worked for me. Spent days finding this one.

  • Hemant:
    18. September 2012 at 13:03

    Thanks you very much. It has resolved the problem.

  • Anonymous:
    14. October 2012 at 03:06

    Thanks a ton it solved the syntax error…

  • The singer:
    20. October 2012 at 11:40

    Thanks…it worked.

  • muthuraj:
    25. October 2012 at 06:12

    Thank you very much for your effort

  • Dexter Morgan:
    30. October 2012 at 12:24

    This syntax problem has me wanting to KILL. Nothing new but thought I would handle this problem in less laptop serial killer type way. It worked on my laptop and desktop. Thanks my friend. – Dex

  • bb1877:
    20. November 2012 at 19:34

    Thanks just fixed a user during a remote session with a quick Google search and your blog. Will become of our internal KB.

  • Shirley:
    24. November 2012 at 05:37

    I have Java script syntax error after having a 3-1 printer installed. I use Firefox. Can you help me with that?

  • Sole:
    24. November 2012 at 08:08

    Sorry I won’t be able to help with that.

  • Monica:
    9. December 2012 at 22:44

    Thanks very much indeed. It worked – you are my Hero Of This Week. Seems it doesn’t help Firefox, but Internet Explorer works perfectly now. Really, for a while I began to wonder whether it was time to check in at a mental hospital – the pop-up window & the tune was getting on my nerves so much it almost drove me insane. Again, thanks a lot, Sole.

  • Jay:
    30. January 2013 at 16:52

    The JScript syntax error started appearing for me (when opening Firefox) after the addition of the MediaHint plugin, which adds its own proxy URL. One solution here is to disable the plugin until you need it.

  • Dheeraj:
    4. February 2013 at 13:17

    Thank you, thank you & thank you!!!

  • guido:
    6. February 2013 at 12:03

    Thank you, thank you, thank you. x 1000

  • Tom Kolakowski:
    18. April 2013 at 15:09

    Thanks… this has been driving me crazy for months and this was the first tip that actually panned out!

  • Wes:
    3. May 2013 at 17:21

    Thank you very much, you rock!!!!

  • Eric:
    2. June 2013 at 03:04

    Thanks to Jay on 30 Jan 2013 for the suggestion about this error when using Firefox, with the problem being caused by Media Hint.

    And thanks to the OP for even writing about this. Almost all of the google results for searches about this problem seem to relate to people who are writing code.

  • Jessica:
    1. July 2013 at 15:29

    Yes! Thank you for the simple & clear instructions. No kidding about “seems to have “absolutely nothing to do with the problem or Java!”

  • martin:
    2. July 2013 at 13:24

    Thanks, did work like a charm :o)

  • drake:
    4. July 2013 at 20:39

    plx hw do i remove dis error from my mozilla tnks

  • Sheen:
    15. July 2013 at 12:21

    You’re a star!

  • Mark:
    17. July 2013 at 03:08

    This is not a fix, this is just a workaround. There is still an underlying issue causing this.

  • Sorin:
    20. July 2013 at 12:31

    It works , thanks!!

  • Daryl Mosely:
    12. August 2013 at 16:13

    I agree. This is only a workaround – NOT A FIX. This approach of – just turn it off – is not right. So, your computer has an error? Power it off. There! No more error! Sorry, Microsquash, you missed the target and hit the tree.

  • Mark:
    11. September 2013 at 14:10

    Daryl,

    I actually spent a week working on this issue because it was affecting a new disaster recovery build out. After all sorts of testing I was able to narrow it down to an odd network/AD/DNS issue. Check your DNS resolutions and DNS suffix search order when working on this issue.

  • Jim:
    24. October 2013 at 18:27

    Thanks man! You saved my marriage!

  • altamonte:
    14. December 2013 at 15:28

    FireFox /Mozilla solution;

    Go to Options, then select the Network tab. Selection “Connection” Settings button. This places you on the page where proxies are set.

    Select the radio button with “No Proxy Settings”.

    Overall:

    This entire problem is one with proxies. You can see if you have proxies set overall in Windows 7 in the Control Panel >>> Internet Options >>> Connections >>> LAN Settings.

    If you have proxies in a work environment, you might try to bypass proxy usage for the web site accessing the Java content that has this symptom.

  • annelise:
    1. May 2014 at 06:27

    thank you!

  • mgillis:
    24. March 2015 at 16:36

    Thank you so very much

  • Carol:
    2. July 2015 at 19:28

    Did not work for me. Still open to suggestion. This Syntax error is ANNOYING. I have windows 8

  • Allen:
    10. July 2015 at 22:11

    Thanks for the information. It didn’t work for me. I’ve tried several things and nothing has solved it yet.

  • jon:
    7. November 2015 at 20:36

    Thanks mate. Appreciate your effort.

  • trickerpat:
    12. February 2016 at 13:39

    Thank you sooooo much, this was driving me crazy, but no more, oh, did I say ‘thanks’.

  • Larry:
    26. June 2016 at 09:42

    My OS is windows 10 and IE is my default browser. The settings you suggest are the default settings on my laptop. I still get these Syntax Error messages. Do you have any other suggestions ?

  • Sole:
    5. July 2016 at 23:47

    sorry no

  • Larry:
    23. August 2016 at 05:41

    This fix is not working on my laptop with windows 10 and IE 11. Does anyone out there have another solution?

  • Deb:
    24. August 2016 at 08:50

    Worked like a charm, thank you so much!

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