Why can't I install ROBOCODE?

Factual Questions
1

I have downloaded the .jar file from the proper site. It self installed and told me that the installation was complete. It placed a shortcut on my desktop. When I click on it and black box shows up for a split second and then disappears.
I have tried updating JAVA, and have deleted and downloaded several times. Same result.
My computer is 6 months old so it can’t be that.

Any suggestions?

2

Sounds like it’s opening a command window, spitting out an error message, and then closing that windows before you can read it.

Do Start -> Run -> Cmd and then execute the program. That’ll let you see the error message and then we can proceed from there.

3

I have windows 7. I don’t have a Run command in the start menu.
And what do you mean by “execute the program”? Do you mean run it from a C:?
How do I do that?
Sorry, but could you dumb it down a bit?

4

It’s called a command prompt, and yes.

From here:

Then use java to run the program, by typing something like this at the command prompt:


java -jar robocode.jar

(Use whatever the .jar file is actually called.)

Tell us what happens after you press ‘Enter’.

5

OK, did the shilft right click thing and got a command prompt. I looked through the directory and got confused.
Isn’t the .jar file, the installation file?
Why would I type that in at the command prompt? Robocode did install a directory in my c: drive.

What I see is
C:\robocode>
This is my robocode directory. the only thing I can think is to type robocode after this.
When I do, it tells me that “java” is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

Sorry to be such an oaf. Any suggestions?