Coldfusion 2021 Unable to Start, get error java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError = TRUE

Report · Sep 30, 2024

Hey CF Community! I'm a new System Administrator for my college and I've started taking over some applications that run CF2021. Recently, while working in my lower environment I have been unable to start the ColdFusion Application Server. When I run the cfstart.bat to check for errors, I get the following:

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: =TRUE
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: =TRUE
at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:581)
at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.ClassLoaders$AppClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoaders.java:178)
at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:521)

I did not make any updates to CF so I am unsure why I am getting this error all of a sudden. If more info is needed to debug the issue let me know and I will provide it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Report · Sep 30, 2024

Are you saying this cf is one you always ran in the past by using cfstart from the command line like that? And have you tried (then or now) to run the command line "as admin"?

If so, please clarify if there's more below what you shared as the error message. There may be something useful there. On the surface, I don't recognize the problem from what you've shared so far.

Also, when was the last time that Cf ran successfully? That may be a clue. You can find that info in the logs. Note that if you run cf from the command line, you won't find it updating the coldfusion-out and coldfusion-error logs. But you will find the server.log tracking startup and shutdown, among other things.

/Charlie (troubleshooter, carehart.org)

Report · Sep 30, 2024

Hey Charlie! Thanks for reaching out.

I usually run Cf by starting the application server service, but get the error saying Windows could not start it. I looked through some other discussion threads on here involving the same issue, and they mentioned to run the cfstart (I did run with elevated privileges) to get a more verbose output. I shared the only messages that are given when I run cfstart.

When I look at event viewer for more info on the failed service, I see the following:

The ColdFusion 2021 Application Server service terminated with the following service-specific error:
The system cannot find the file specified.

The last time CF ran successfully was around 2 months ago. I haven't had to work in that environment in that time period and with other stuff coming up this was put in the backburner.

I just checked the server.log as you suggested, and the last error was on 7/03 alerting us that our JDBC user failed to login to the db. I'm familiar with updating the password when the app server is running but not while it isn't. Would that login failed cause the app server not to start?

My apologies if this is trivial, I'm still learning CF. But enjoying it every step of the way!

Report · Oct 01, 2024

From what you have said, I think you have done things correctly. In particular, you should run ColdFusion as you have usually done: that is, by starting the application server service. That narrows the focus of the issue and ensures that the solution you eventually find will fit your usual way of working.

Looking at the Event Viewer is a useful debugging step. "The system cannot find the file specified." suggests that ColdFusion's start-up process cannot find a file it needs. Or, perhaps, a required file has been corrupted.

I would therefore suggest you look into the following configuration files:

installed packages
Java Virtual Machine configuration: \cfusion\bin\jvm.config
Runtime configuration (XML): \cfusion\lib\neo-{FILENAME}.xml

My suggestion consists of the following 3 checks, in turn. Only when you finish doing them should you try to restart ColdFusion.

1. Installed packages

For the moment, install all the packages. The steps are:

Open Windows Services and make sure every Adobe ColdFusion service is stopped.
Open the command prompt (CMD) as administrator;
Use the DOS command CD to navigate to C:\ColdFusion2021\cfusion\bin;
Type cfpm.bat and press ENTER. That should bring up ColdFusion's Package Manager tool.
Type install all and press ENTER. If all goes as expected, then all ColdFusion 2021 packages will be installed. When the Package Manager finishes, type quit and press ENTER.
Close the CMD window.
Were there any errors or discrepancies? Note them down and bring them to the forum for discussion.

2. Java Virtual Machine configuration

The Java Virtual Machine configuration is situated by default at \cfusion\bin\jvm.config. To check it,

Open the file in a text editor.
Examine its contents (I would advise you to later share the contents with the forum, if necessary). Ensure that the file does not contain any strange, unnecessary or outdated settings.
Ensure that the value of the java.home property is the absolute path of the home directory of the Java installation on which ColdFusion runs.
For example, my ColdFusion 2021 runs on the Java installation at C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-11. So, my setting is:
```
java.home=C:\\Program Files\\Java\\jdk-11
```
Should you make any changes, remember to save the file.
Were there any errors or discrepancies? Note them down and bring them to the forum for discussion.

3. Runtime configuration (XML)

Open the directory ColdFusion2021/cfusion/lib and sort the contents by Name.
Ensure that each of the following system files is present:
Sort the files in ColdFusion2021/cfusion/lib by Type, then by Date Modified. Pay attention to the most recently modified neo-***.xml files.
Examine each in an XML editor to ensure that its contents are reasonable and not corrupt.
Were there any errors or discrepancies? Note them down and bring them to the forum for discussion.

Once you are satisfied with the above steps, restart the ColdFusion 2021 services. Begin by restarting ColdFusion .NET, ColdFusion Add-On and ColdFusion ODBC Agent/Server (assuming they are present), and then restart, as last, the ColdFusion 2021 Application Server.

Report · Oct 01, 2024

Nikolas, sorry I missed your reply yesterday (I'm at the Adobe CF summit which ends later today). So first, yes, it's smart to try to start cf from the command line when it won't start as a service. And second, the windows event log always says that in this case, and it's a useless message--not ever indicative if what's the true problem.

But there's just not enough in that message you offered to recommend what's amiss.

bkbk offers a whole lot you can try, but if it's either daunting or unsuccessful, I'll say that it may be hard to sort this out via this kind of of back and forth.

If it's more important to get it done today, we could get on a shared desktop session together and we may well solve this readily. I offer such consulting, in as little as 15-minute blocks. More at carehart.org/consulting.

And while my online calendar doesn't offer slots today, I could fit you in for this. I just couldn't risk someone grabbing me for an extended session. My contact info is on that site.

Otherwise, I guess let us know hoenyiu