Apache Catalina Error:- "SEVERE: Error listenerStart" - catalina

Question

I am getting the following error when i tried to start a java spring software that runs under apache:-
Sep 24, 2012 12:08:20 PM org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext start
SEVERE: Error listenerStart
Sep 24, 2012 12:08:20 PM org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext start
SEVERE: Context [/jw] startup failed due to previous errors
Sep 24, 2012 12:08:21 PM org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig deployWAR
INFO: Deploying web application archive jwdesigner.war
Sep 24, 2012 12:08:21 PM org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol start
INFO: Starting Coyote HTTP/1.1 on http-8080
Sep 24, 2012 12:08:21 PM org.apache.jk.common.ChannelSocket init
INFO: JK: ajp13 listening on /0.0.0.0:8009
Sep 24, 2012 12:08:21 PM org.apache.jk.server.JkMain start
INFO: Jk running ID=0 time=0/16 config=null
Sep 24, 2012 12:08:21 PM org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina start
INFO: Server startup in 2251 ms
So what might be causing this error.
BR
:::UPDATED:::
The full error starts with the following, baring in mind that i am using windows 7 OS :-**
Sep 24, 2012 12:18:39 PM org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngine start
INFO: Starting Servlet Engine: Apache Tomcat/6.0.18
Sep 24, 2012 12:18:39 PM org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig deployWAR
INFO: Deploying web application archive jw.war
No properties path set - looking for transactions.properties in classpath...
transactions.properties not found - looking for jta.properties in classpath...
Failed to open transactions properties file - using default values
java.lang.RuntimeException
at com.atomikos.util.UniqueIdMgr.<init>(UniqueIdMgr.java:112)
at com.atomikos.util.UniqueIdMgr.<init>(UniqueIdMgr.java:88)
at com.atomikos.icatch.standalone.StandAloneTransactionManager.<init>(St
andAloneTransactionManager.java:82)
at com.atomikos.icatch.standalone.UserTransactionServiceImp.createDefaul
t(UserTransactionServiceImp.java:285)
at com.atomikos.icatch.standalone.UserTransactionServiceImp.init(UserTra
nsactionServiceImp.java:306)
at com.atomikos.icatch.config.UserTransactionServiceImp.init(UserTransac
tionServiceImp.java:413)
at com.atomikos.icatch.jta.UserTransactionManager.checkSetup(UserTransac
tionManager.java:90)
at com.atomikos.icatch.jta.UserTransactionManager.init(UserTransactionMa
nager.java:140)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.
java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAcces
sorImpl.java:25)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBean
Factory.invokeCustomInitMethod(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1414)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBean
Factory.invokeInitMethods(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1375)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBean
Factory.initializeBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1335)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBean
Factory.doCreateBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:473)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBean
Factory$1.run(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:409)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBean
Factory.createBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:380)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory$1.getOb
ject(AbstractBeanFactory.java:264)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultSingletonBeanRegistr
y.getSingleton(DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.java:222)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.doGetBe
an(AbstractBeanFactory.java:261)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean
(AbstractBeanFactory.java:185)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean
(AbstractBeanFactory.java:164)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory.
preInstantiateSingletons(DefaultListableBeanFactory.java:429)
at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.finish
BeanFactoryInitialization(AbstractApplicationContext.java:728)
at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refres
h(AbstractApplicationContext.java:380)
at org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoader.createWebApplicationCon
text(ContextLoader.java:255)
at org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoader.initWebApplicationConte
xt(ContextLoader.java:199)
at org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener.contextInitiali
zed(ContextLoaderListener.java:45)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.listenerStart(StandardContex
t.java:3843)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.start(StandardContext.java:4
342)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChildInternal(ContainerBase
.java:791)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChild(ContainerBase.java:77
1)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.addChild(StandardHost.java:525)
at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployWAR(HostConfig.java:830)
at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployWARs(HostConfig.java:719
)
at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployApps(HostConfig.java:490
)
at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.start(HostConfig.java:1149)
at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.lifecycleEvent(HostConfig.java
:311)
at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleSupport.fireLifecycleEvent(Lifecycl
eSupport.java:117)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.start(ContainerBase.java:1053)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.start(StandardHost.java:719)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.start(ContainerBase.java:1045)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngine.start(StandardEngine.java:443
)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardService.start(StandardService.java:5
16)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardServer.start(StandardServer.java:710
)
at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.start(Catalina.java:578)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.
java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAcces
BR

Answer 1

Enable more detailed logging by creating a file logging.properties at WEB-INF\classes\
with the following content:
org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.[Catalina].level = INFO
org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.[Catalina].handlers = java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler
Now the offender should show up in the stack trace.
Reference:
Debugging the dreaded "SEVERE: Error listenerStart" AND "SEVERE: error filterStart" Tomcat Error messages

Answer 2

You seem to have an issue with the initialisation of atomikos. Maybe the default values don't work properly for your application:
No properties path set - looking for transactions.properties in classpath...
transactions.properties not found - looking for jta.properties in classpath...
Failed to open transactions properties file - using default values

Answer 3

Maybe you are generating jdk 8 source code on your project or some library and deploying on a jdk 7 or jdk 6 server.