Try running it via a dos window, cd to directory where games is installed, then type

java -Xms256m -Xmx512m -classpath . CNAW

OK, I've got a work around that gets it going.

Instead of trying to run game from Menu, which would not work for me, open up a dos box and change directory to where you installed the game. eg C:\Matrix Games\Commander - Napoleon At War>

Then type at the command line

java -Xms256m -Xmx512m ...

I cant get the game working either. When you click on the PLAY link, a dos box flashs open with a message but shuts immediately. The message is

"Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: CNAW"

The OS is Windows XP and the version of java I have is

java version "1.6.0_07"
Java(TM ...