java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.microsoft.jdbc.sqlserver.SQLServerDriver

I am trying to connect to a DB in java using MSSQL server.  I have followed the steps; my CLASSPATH environment variable is currently set to:

CLASSPATH=.;c:\program files\Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Driver for JDBC\lib\msbase.jar;c:\program files\Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Driver for JDBC\lib\msutil.jar;c:\program files\Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Driver for JDBC\lib\mssqlserver.jar

To verify that I have set the variable correctly I went to the command prompt and typed:

javap com.microsoft.jdbc.sqlserver.SQLServerDriver

and got:

No sourcepublic class com.microsoft.jdbc.sqlserver.SQLServerDriver extends com.microsoft.jdbc.base.BaseDriver {
    static {};
    public com.microsoft.jdbc.sqlserver.SQLServerDriver();
    public static void main(java.lang.String[]);
}

as a response which should indicate that my CLASSPATH is set up correctly.  In spite of this I am still getting a:

java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.microsoft.jdbc.sqlserver.SQLServerDriver
      at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:198)
      at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
      at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:186)
      at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:299)
      at sun.misc.Launcher$AppClassLoader.loadClass(Launcher.java:265)
      at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:255)
      at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClassInternal(ClassLoader.java:315)
      at java.lang.Class.forName0(Native Method)
      at java.lang.Class.forName(Class.java:140)
      at DBConnect.getConnection(DBConnect.java:30)
      at DBConnect.displayDbProperties(DBConnect.java:48)
      at DBConnect.main(DBConnect.java:85)

I have tried copying the mssqlserver.jar, msutil.jar and msbase.jar in the lib/ directory of my JDK installation folder but that did not help either.  Suggestions anyone?  Here is my source code:

import java.*;

public class DBConnect
{
     private java.sql.Connection  con = null;
     private final String url = "jdbc:microsoft:sqlserver://";
     private final String serverName= "localhost";
     private final String portNumber = "1433";
     private final String databaseName= "avato";
     private final String userName = "sa";
     private final String password = "";

     // Informs the driver to use server a side-cursor,
     // which permits more than one active statement
     // on a connection.
     private final String selectMethod = "cursor";

     // Constructor
     public DBConnect(){}

     private String getConnectionUrl()
     {
          return url+serverName+":"+portNumber+";databaseName="+databaseName+";selectMethod="+selectMethod+";";
     }

     private java.sql.Connection getConnection()
     {
          try{
               Class.forName("com.microsoft.jdbc.sqlserver.SQLServerDriver");
               con = java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(getConnectionUrl(),userName,password);
               if(con!=null) System.out.println("Connection Successful!");
          }catch(Exception e){
               e.printStackTrace();
               System.out.println("Error Trace in getConnection() : " + e.getMessage());
         }
          return con;
      }

     /*
          Display the driver properties, database details
     */

     public void displayDbProperties(){
          java.sql.DatabaseMetaData dm = null;
          java.sql.ResultSet rs = null;
          try{
               con= this.getConnection();
               if(con!=null){
                    dm = con.getMetaData();
                    System.out.println("Driver Information");
                    System.out.println("\tDriver Name: "+ dm.getDriverName());
                    System.out.println("\tDriver Version: "+ dm.getDriverVersion ());
                    System.out.println("\nDatabase Information ");
                    System.out.println("\tDatabase Name: "+ dm.getDatabaseProductName());
                    System.out.println("\tDatabase Version: "+ dm.getDatabaseProductVersion());
                    System.out.println("Avalilable Catalogs ");
                    rs = dm.getCatalogs();
                    while(rs.next()){
                         System.out.println("\tcatalog: "+ rs.getString(1));
                    }
                    rs.close();
                    rs = null;
                    closeConnection();
               }else System.out.println("Error: No active Connection");
          }catch(Exception e)
          {
               e.printStackTrace();
          }
          dm = null;
     }

     private void closeConnection(){
       try{
               if(con!=null)
                    con.close();
               con=null;
          }catch(Exception e){
               e.printStackTrace();
          }
     }
     public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception
       {
          DBConnect myDbTest = new DBConnect();
          myDbTest.displayDbProperties();
       }
}