Java wont play nice...

...Just not on Chess.com. 

I'd like to think of my self as quite tech savy. But I have never had this much problem with java. It could be cause I steer clear of it most of the time :)

Any tips on figuring this out?

Well, this is the main thread about the problem:

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/help-support/java-computer-doesnt-work

Some people are reducing the security setting or reverting to older Java versions, but I wouldn't recommend either approach.

I tried both and.. well they didn't work :/

Smart man. I simply refuse to run Java in the browser; It's too insecure. Chess.com really should find a way to run a chess computer without using Java applets.

I'm having exactly the same problem with Java but not on chess.com. My chess.com applets work fine. My problems are with chesslab.com when I try to use their database. The funny thing is that I have another computer with an older version of Java and it works fine on that website but the newest version of Java does not. If anyone comes up with a solution please do let me know. In the meantime I have to avoid those websites where this problem crops up which so far is only that one. 

In Erik's October "state of chess.com" video, somewhere around the 6:20 mark he states that there will be no more Java in the new version coming in 3 or 4 months.  Since resources are being prioritized towards the rollout of V3 of chess.com I don't think you'll see a solution until V3 becomes standard.