Fix ASDM unable to continue loading error

I’ve been playing around with a Cisco ASA 5520 for the last couple of days and after updating the software and loading up ASDM (Adaptive Security Device Manager) version 6.1, I kept getting the following error message when trying to access the ASDM via web or win32:

ADSM is unable to continue loading. Unconnected sockets not implemented

Notice the little Java icon in the title bar, that’s a big clue as to what is most likely causing the problem. There are several ways you can fix this problem:

Method 1 – Downgrade Java Runtime Environment

This error appears to be caused by the Java Runtime version 6 Update 10 or later. One solution is to simply downgrade to a version before this and then turn off the automatic updates for Java.

You can uninstall JRE and then reinstall using an older version like JRE 6 update 7. Where can you download an older version of the Java Runtime Environment? Simply go to the Archive page at Java.Sun and choose the appropriate version next to JDK/JRE – 6:

You can turn off automatic updating of JRE by going to the Control Panel, clicking on the Java icon, clicking on the Update tab, and unchecking Check for udpates automatically.

Method 2 – Update ASDM

Unfortunately, if that doesn’t solve your problem, which it should, the only other option you have is to try and update to the latest version of ASDM. I had downloaded the latest version, so I knew it was a Java issue.