Java Preferences does not open
I am running OS 10.6.8. My JRE was automatically updated, for security reasons, to 10.6 update 12, which is, I believe Java 1.6.0_39. Now my Java Preferences pane does not open, but bounces uselessly in the dock. Force Quit does not work, because a new instance opens as soon as the old one closes. I repaired my permissions using OnyX, but that did not improve things.I googled the problem, and it does not seem to be a known or widespread issue. I would be very grateful for any insight.
iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)