Greetings britboi

Hmmm that is strange I can dual boot on this comp. WinXP pro sp2 or WinXP MCE sp2. I've never had a problem uninstalling and reinstalling java from versions 1.3.x to my present 1.5.0_01. That includes the Japanese version.

Sounds like something is not right with your registry. Try cleaning the registry. You can search the forums here. You will find links to several if you don't have one.

If that doesn't work try booting your comp. from your WinXP cd and do a repair.

Best of luck