Unable to Install DevTest or lauch Workstation - jvmhook error

Products

• CA Application Test
• CA Continuous Application Insight (PathFinder)
• Service Virtualization

Issue/Introduction

We are unable to launch the DevTest installer Launcher.  When we double click on the package it is not taking us to wizard setup.

Also,  on installed machines, Devtest Workstation will not launch.

Seeing the below error in Workstation logs. 

 java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: com/mercury/javashared/agentloader/AgentBootstrap
2025-08-20T15:40:54,634Z (21:10) [main] ERROR System.err                     -     at java.desktop/java.awt.Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit(Toolkit.java:598)
2025-08-20T15:40:54,634Z (21:10) [main] ERROR System.err                     -     at java.desktop/java.awt.Toolkit.getEventQueue(Toolkit.java:1493)
2025-08-20T15:40:54,634Z (21:10) [main] ERROR System.err                     -     at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(EventQueue.java:1314)
2025-08-20T15:40:54,634Z (21:10) [main] ERROR System.err                     -     at com.itko.lisa.gui.TestManager.runMain(TestManager.java:191)
2025-08-20T15:40:54,634Z (21:10) [main] ERROR System.err                     -     at com.itko.lisa.gui.TestManager.main(TestManager.java:137)

Environment

All supported DevTest releases.

Cause

The environment variables below are set for QTP:-

IBM_JAVA_TOOLS=jvmhook….
JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS = -agentlib:jvmhook 
_JAVA_OPTIONS = -Xrunjvmhook -Xbootclasspath/a:C:\PROGRA~2\HP\QUICKT~1\bin\JAVA_S~1\classes;C:\........~1\bin\JAVA_S~1\classes\xxxx.jar 

These properties are actual system variables that have been set up that will affect any instance of Java that is executed on the machine. These properties are read by the core java executables, and cannot be bypassed. 

From a DevTest standpoint, we don’t make global changes to the Java runtime environment. The issue is that HP is forcing any instance of Java to boot with custom HP QTP classes, which applied to any JVM started on the machine. The QTP classes are in conflict with those in use by DevTest, even though we use our our own internal JRE. 

These environment variables should not have a global scope, as they will potentially affect any other Java program.

 

Resolution

Resolution:

1) remove the parameters so they are not environment variables or add zzz_ in front of those variables 
2) add these system properties to your QTP startup scripts so they will take effect when QTP starts in its own shell.