Why do I receive a Java exception when starting MATLAB 7.0.4 (R14SP2)?

During a Simulink simulation, MATLAB crashed and when I tried to start MATLAB again, I received a Java exception. Before everything worked fine. I would like to know how to renew the setup of my system and to get MATLAB running.

The error message follows.

 Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.StringIndexOutOfBoundsException: String index out of range: -1

 at java.lang.String.substring(Unknown Source)

 at com.mathworks.mde.filebrowser.FileViewTableModel$FileInfoItem.appendMDLDescription(FileViewTableModel.java:748)

 at com.mathworks.mde.filebrowser.FileViewTableModel$FileInfoItem.getMdlH1Line(FileViewTableModel.java:670)

 at com.mathworks.mde.filebrowser.FileViewTableModel$FileInfoItem.getH1Line(FileViewTableModel.java:406)

 at com.mathworks.mde.filebrowser.FileViewTableModel$FileInfoItem.getDisplayedData(FileViewTableModel.java:331)

 at com.mathworks.mde.filebrowser.FileViewTableModel.getValueAt(FileViewTableModel.java:169)

 at com.mathworks.mde.filebrowser.FileViewSortDecorator.getValueAt(FileViewSortDecorator.java:244)

 at javax.swing.JTable.getValueAt(Unknown Source)

 at javax.swing.JTable.prepareRenderer(Unknown Source)

 at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicTableUI.paintCell(Unknown Source)

 at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicTableUI.paintCells(Unknown Source)

 at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicTableUI.paint(Unknown Source)

                 ........

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

Occasionally, when MATLAB crashes, some files in the MATLAB preferences directory do not close properly and cause the Java exception during MATLAB restart.

To resolve this issue:

1. Rename the MATLAB preferences directory. Locate this directory by running

prefdir

in the MATLAB Command Window.

2. Restart MATLAB. A new preferences directory will be created.

3. If you would like to restore information in certain preference files, you can overwrite files in the newly formed preferences directory with the same files from the old directory content. For example the file 'history.m' contains the MATLAB Command History.