FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version " 1.7.0_40-ea "
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_40-ea-b36)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 24.0-b55, mixed mode, sharing)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
My look & feel and other settings are not correctly recognised when launching a Java 6 application through Java 7 webstart.

REGRESSION. Last worked in version 7u25

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
1. Create a small test program that displays the Look & Feel
2. Deploy in a signed jar
3. Create a small JNLP file that explicitly sets the default look & feel to com.sun.java.swing.plaf.nimbus.NimbusLookAndFeel and has j2se version = 1.6
4. Ensure that you have both JRE 6 and JRE 1.7.0_40-ea-b36 installed
5. Enable " Show Console " in the Java Control panel
6. Launch the web start file
7. Observe the output in the console
6.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
The console should display
[Nimbus Look and Feel - com.sun.java.swing.plaf.nimbus.NimbusLookAndFeel]
ACTUAL -
The console displays
[The Microsoft Windows Look and Feel - com.sun.java.swing.plaf.windows.WindowsLookAndFeel]

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
test.jnlp
-----------

<?xml version= " 1.0 " encoding= " utf-8 " ?>
<jnlp spec= " 6.0+ " codebase= " http://www.example.com/webstart " href= " test.jnlp " >
  <information>
    <title>Test</title>
    <vendor>Example</vendor>
  </information>
  <resources>
    <j2se version= " 1.6 " initial-heap-size= " 64m " max-heap-size= " 384m " java-vm-args= " -ea " />
    <jar href= " test.jar " main= " true " />
    <property name= " swing.defaultlaf " value= " com.sun.java.swing.plaf.nimbus.NimbusLookAndFeel " />
  </resources>
  <application-desc main-class= " Test " />
</jnlp>

Test.java
------------
public class Test {
  public static void main(String... argv) throws Exception {
    System.out.println(javax.swing.UIManager.getLookAndFeel());
  }
}

---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Specify j2se version= " 1.6+ " instead of j2se version= " 1.6 " , thus allowing the application to run from the " primary " process.