FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\markw>ver

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
java -version
java version "1.6.0_01"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_01-b06)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.6.0_01-b06, mixed mode, sharing)

C:\Documents and Settings\markw>

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
I have placed a deployment.properties file in c:\windows\sun\java\deployment. According to Sun's own documentation this should override local deployment.properties files.

However, despite my ensuring that the system-wide deployment.properties file is readable by all, Java ignores my settings (the main change of which is to move the user.cache folder from somewhere user specific to 'C:\Java Files')

The change in the system-wide deployment.properties file is as below:

deployment.user.cachedir=C\:\\Java Files

When I then log in as a different user (who has not previously downloaded/installed the application you used to download and cache some jar files) and try to start my java app, it downloads the app to the cache dir specified in:

C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment

and ignores the deployment.properties in C:\WINDOWS\Sun\Java\Deployment

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
1. Install the Sun JRE (if not already installed)
2. Go to Control Panel->Java-?Temporary Files Settings and use the Control Panel to create a new 'Java Files' folder on the root of the C: drive and set it as the place to store Temporary Files.

3. Using Windows Explorer, set the security on the 'C:\Java Files' folder to be 'Full Control' for everyone (eliminates the possibility that the issue is a file permission one)

4. Go to C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment and copy the deployment.properties file to C:\WINDOWS\Sun\Java\Deployment

5. Check the file permissions to ensure that all users can read/execute the file.

6. Load any Java Web start app that downloads and caches JAR files locally

7. Check that the files have downloaded to C:\Java Files (they should have)

8. Now log out of Windows, and log back in using a different user account (that has not previously downloaded/installed the app you used in step 6)

9. Repeat step 6.

Instead of seeing that the required files are already present in C:\Java Files, Java will download and install a fresh copy of the files into C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment

As such it has directly ignored the deployment.user.cachedir setting that I have set in the (supposedly) system-wide deployment.properties file.





EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
When logging in with a different user, I was expecting the system-wide deployment.properties file to be read, and for Java to try and cache files in C:\Java Files. Finding those files already there, it would not have needed to download them.


ACTUAL -
Java ignored the system-wide deployment.properties file and cached a second copy of the same files in C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment



REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
I have not yet found a workaround for this issue. This will cause a problem in the event of different users logging onto a machine and wanting to run the same app, as a separate copy must be distributed to each user.