To recreate :
 run java -SwingTest -command abc
go to -> File -> Look and Feel -> windows(win32 only)
JDK freezes and has to be ctrl+C'd from the command line .
It produces the following message -
C:\swingtest\classes>java SwingTest -command çÇ^¨Ñ¨Ññ
CLASSPATH : .
JAVA HOME : C:\Archivos de programa\JavaSoft\JRE\1.4
Starting SwingTest. Please wait...
Loading test module :class JButtonTest
Loading test module :class JTextFieldTest
Loading test module :class JComboBoxTest
Loading test module :class JLabelTest
Loading test module :class JTextAreaTest
Loading test module :class JCheckBoxTest
Loading test module :class JRadioButtonTest
Loading test module :class JPopupMenuTest
Loading test module :class JListTest
Loading test module :class JTextPaneTest
Loading test module :class JTabbedPaneTest
Loading test module :class EuroTest
Loading test module :class JTableTest
Loading test module :class CutPasteTest
Loading test module :class JAppletTest
java.lang.NullPointerException
        at javax.swing.BoxLayout.preferredLayoutSize(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.preferredSize(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Container.getPreferredSize(Unknown Source)
        at javax.swing.JComponent.getPreferredSize(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.FlowLayout.layoutContainer(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.layout(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.doLayout(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.validateTree(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.validateTree(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.validateTree(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.validate(Unknown Source)
        at javax.swing.RepaintManager.validateInvalidComponents(Unknown Source)
        at javax.swing.SystemEventQueueUtilities$ComponentWorkRequest.run(Unkno
n Source)
        at java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForHierarchy(Unknown Source

        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown Source)
java.lang.NullPointerException
        at javax.swing.BoxLayout.preferredLayoutSize(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.preferredSize(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.getPreferredSize(Unknown Source)
        at javax.swing.JComponent.getPreferredSize(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.FlowLayout.layoutContainer(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.layout(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.doLayout(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.validateTree(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.validateTree(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.validateTree(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.Container.validate(Unknown Source)
        at javax.swing.RepaintManager.validateInvalidComponents(Unknown Source)
        at javax.swing.SystemEventQueueUtilities$ComponentWorkRequest.run(Unkno
n Source)
        at java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForHierarchy(Unknown Source

        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown Source)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It could be that this option does not work in Win 2000 or is not supported in Windows anymore.

###@###.### 2001-08-21