This is a known issue (to an extent) with ATI's drivers. Its stems from sun's use of D3D calls in their latest java machine and there less then steller use of those calls. Anyway, i've been looking around rage3d and found this tidbit:

quote:
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"You can use Java 1.4.1_01, but you have to disable Direct3D hardware support in Sun Java.

You can either use the command line option of "-Dsun.java2d.d3d=false" or set it in the Sun Java plugin control panel.


Here's the steps you need to take:

Note: if you can't disable the use of ddraw by java prior to
installing it, you can still disable the use of ddraw by the
system, install java, set the -Dsun.java2d.d3d=false in
the plugin control panel, and then enable ddraw in the
system again.

The ddraw can be disabled by either running "Program
Files/DirectX/Setup/dxsetup" application, or in the Display
Properties panel: click 'Advanced' button, then go to
'Troubleshoot' tab, and set the slider on the second mark
from the left."
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taken from: http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33666213&highlight=java+reboot

I really hope this fixes the problem; I'm going to try it when i get home.

mike