Java Plug-in 1.4.2

(I use Windows XP). When I clicked on a chat link, I got a window saying "Java Player 1.4.2 is not installed properly." I downloaded the Java 1.4.2 and extracted it. I still got the same message clicking the Chat link. I went to the Java Plug-in in my Control Panel. When I clicked it it said, "The system cannot find the registry key specified "HKey_Local_Machine_Software\Javasoft\Java Plug-in\1.4.2\Java Home." How can I get this working? Thanks

 

Install the Sun Java, instead of extracting the one file.

 

Sun Java

I went to the Sun Java website as you suggested. It wasn't clear from your reply what I should install. I've already downloaded the file that my machine said is either not installed properly or is missing. Could you be more specific? Thanks.

 

When you download just one file, and put it into a folder, that is not installing it.

You need to install the Sun Java Virtual Machine, the complete package, to get the proper settings into the registry. Sun Java installs files into quite a few folders, and the locations of these are entered into the registry.
When you install the Virtual Machine, you download one file, and run that file, it then looks at your system, and downloads the proper files for you, and then installs the entire package, much like updating Internet Explorer. You do need to be connected to the internet to do this.