TWS on 64 bit Win7

OK, my bad. On reading closer the post by Canoe007, I see that SysWOW64 is where the 32-bit files are, and the 64-bit ones actually reside in System32. Confusing - huh? Thanks, MS. Anyway, got my TWS hooked up to the 64-bit Java, but run into the same problem as Canoe007 – I get an error message reading:

“The ddedll.dll file required for Excel integration is either missing or out of date.” etc.

So, at the end of this all, I’ve had to revert back to the 32-bit Java. What a waste of time. Thanks, IB.

 

TWS is a 32bit application, so if you are using any 64bit system you will have to install both 32bit, and 64bit Java in order for TWS to run correctly. If you don't have both you will encounter the problem where it looks for files in the wrong place.

 

Hi, all

I tried to run TWS for the first time on a new Windows 7 64-bit box.

"Initializing environment..." never completed! It just stalled midway.

Tried all the workarounds mentioned in the past like:
pointing desktop TWS to javaw.exe in SysWOW64 or system32,
copying over jts folder contents from current XP rig,
installing Java 32 bit and 64 bit versions,
installing only Java 32 bit,
uninstalling/reinstalling Java and TWS,
etc.

Nothing worked.

My jts folder is in Program Files (x86).

If anyone has come across and solved a similar problem, I'd much appreciate your feedback.

Thanks in advance.

 

I haven't read the whole thread but I am running 64 bit Win 7 and TWS and my JTS folder is directly on C: (not in any folders) see pic.

 

If TWS is a 32-bit program, then why does its desktop shortcut point to
C:\Windows\System32\javaw.exe
which is in fact Java 64-bit?

 

I should've mentioned that this apparent oddity applies only to 64-bit Windows with both Java 32-bit and 64-bit versions installed.

 

I found that the issue seemed to be TWS installer's inability to interpret properly the longer folder name with the spaces in it. In my case I right-clicked the TWS icon, select properties and shortcut tab, and saw the supposed ¡°C:\Program Files (x86)\Jts¡± folder was referred as ¡°C:\PROGRAM~2\Jts¡±.

I ended up copying everything from this folder to C:\Jts and using ¡°C:\Jts¡± in the shortcut tab in the icon¡¯s property. This solved the never-ending ¡°Initializing environment...¡± issue as well as the missing jts.ini problem when launching TWS (In the TWS login window the ¡°Settings Directory¡± entry is C:\Program by default when the correct folder should be C:\Program Files (x86)). Probably it would work too if I simply replaced ¡°C:\PROGRAM~2¡± and ¡°C:\Program¡± with the correct path name ¡°C:\Program Files (x86)¡± but I did not try it.

 

I am setting up a new Windows 7 computer.

I read the process described here:
http://exceltrader.net/774/how-to-install-tws-on-a-64-bit-windows-7-system/

and used a similar method:

1. Remove 64 bit java that came preinstalled with Windows 7.

2. Remove 32 bit java that I had installed previously.

3. Install 32 bit java,
installing this program to C:\Program Files (x86)\Java

4. Install TWS (to C:\Jts)

5. Copy the file “Javaw.exe” from “C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre6\bin” and place it in “C:\Windows\System32″

6. Step 4 (TWS installation) created a TWS icon on the desktop. I opened this shortcut and changed the command line so that it referred to

C:\Windows\System32\javaw.exe and
C:\Windows\System32\

and not

C:\Windows\SysWOW64\javaw.exe
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\

7. I also changed this command line so that it referred to C:\Jts
(the folder described in step 4 above)

8. Open from the TWS shortcut as normal.

****

For purposes of comparison, steps 6 and 7 are not described on the http://exceltrader.net/ page.

Steps 1 and 2 are not numbered in the Exceltrader page, but are considered part of step 1.

One final note is that after completing steps 1 to 8 above, I do not have 64-bit Java installed on my computer.

 

Some links to other threads about this java issue:

Forums - Help with TWS & Windows 7
http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=213101

Forums - Not able to log into IB trader workstation in Windows 7 64bit
http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=223086

Forums - IB TWS Win7 no installation possible
http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=195956

Forums - TWS' missing javaw.exe link
http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=218568

Problems installing TWS - 64bit Windows 7 - NinjaTrader Support Forum
http://www.ninjatrader.com/support/forum/showthread.php?t=35113

 

Isn't Java supposed to be hardware and platform independent so that there is no such thing as a 32 bit or 64 bit Java application?

In other words, any properly written Java application should run in either environment (32 bit or 64 bit) without change.