The BUFFERDIR connection property is invalid Error in Java Applets-Collection of common programming errors

My intranet web application uses Java applets to connect to database. When one of the users tries to use the application the following error:

java.sql.SQLException: The BUFFERDIR connection property is invalid. Restart connection.
java.sql.SQLException: The BUFFERDIR connection property is invalid.
at net.sourceforge.jtds.jdbc.ConnectionJDBC2.unpackProperties(ConnectionJDBC2.java:1241)
at net.sourceforge.jtds.jdbc.ConnectionJDBC2.(ConnectionJDBC2.java:269)
at net.sourceforge.jtds.jdbc.ConnectionJDBC3.(ConnectionJDBC3.java:50)
at net.sourceforge.jtds.jdbc.Driver.connect(Driver.java:184)
at java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(Unknown Source)
at java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(Unknown Source)
at applet.DataObj$3.run(DataObj.java:1210)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at DataObj.doQuery(DataObj.java:1186)
at DataObj.go(DataObj.java:1068)
at DataObj$dataThreadclass.run(DataObj.java:1574)

The problem seems to be happening for only one of the users so this could be a system/desktop level settings issue. The application employs Java 1.6 and jtDs to connecto DB.

Thanks in advance.

AccessController.doPrivileged(new PrivilegedAction() {

public Object run() {

try{

    if (con != null){

        con = null;}

    DriverManager.setLoginTimeout(timeout);

    DriverManager.setLoginTimeout(gettimeout());

    StringBuffer sTempUrl = new StringBuffer();

    sTempUrl.append(getUrl()).

         append(";user=").append(getUid()).


         append(";password=").append(getPass())

         append(";loginTimeout=0;");        

    if (DBTYPE_SQL_SERVER.equals(sDbType)){

        sTempUrl.append(";instance=").append(getInstance());}                       

    con = DriverManager.getConnection(sTempUrl.toString());

    stmt = con.createStatement();

    stmt.execute("set quoted_identifier off");

    stmt.setQueryTimeout(gettimeout());

                }

con = DriverManager.getConnection(sTempUrl.toString()); is line 1210

Originally posted 2013-11-10 00:15:06.