FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.5.0"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.5.0-b64
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.5.0-b64, mixed mode, sharing)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Windows 2000

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Owing to the lack of enterprise features in Java Web Start 1.2, our configuration file was carefully created by our Java admins to ensure correct Java version orderings, etc. All of the changes we made were possible using the Control Panel GUI. It seems that this configuration file gets successfully ported to the new deployment.properties file format for 1.5. The problem is that the file it generates permanently breaks Java Web Start on that machine.

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
Use the deployment.properties file attached and click on any JNLP URL. It will fail.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
Ideally, the deployment file should never be able to permanently kill JWS. Either that or the porting process should never create a file that confuses JWS.
ACTUAL -
Cannot launch any JNLPs

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
This is from the trace file:

java.lang.NullPointerException
at java.io.File.<init>(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javaws.LaunchSelection.isPlatformMatch(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javaws.LaunchSelection.matchJRE(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javaws.LaunchSelection.handleJREDesc(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javaws.LaunchSelection.access$000(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javaws.LaunchSelection$1.visitJREDesc(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javaws.jnl.JREDesc.visit(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javaws.jnl.ResourcesDesc.visit(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javaws.LaunchSelection.selectJRE(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.handleApplicationDesc(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.handleLaunchFile(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.run(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
#deployment.properties
#Tue Nov 09 16:42:41 GMT 2004
deployment.javapi.lifecycle.exception=true
deployment.proxy.bypass.local=true
deployment.trace=true
deployment.system.tray.icon=true
deployment.version=1.5.0
deployment.javaws.splash.index=o\:\\Data\\Sun\\Java\\Deployment\\cache\\javaws\\splash\\splash.xml
deployment.browser.vm.iexplorer=true
deployment.browser.path=C\:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe
deployment.proxy.http.host=incache.gb.drkw.net
deployment.proxy.type=1
deployment.javaws.version=javaws-1.4.2_05
deployment.showConsole=true
deployment.log=true
deployment.browser.vm.mozilla=true
deployment.console.startup.mode=SHOW
deployment.proxy.http.port=8080
#Java Web Start jre's
#Tue Nov 09 16:42:41 GMT 2004
deployment.javaws.jre.2.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.6.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.4.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.18.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.18.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.18.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.20.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.4.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.14.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.16.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.22.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.14.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.2.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.16.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.11.path=C\:\\Program Files\\Java\\j2re1.4.1_01\\bin\\javaw.exe
deployment.javaws.jre.14.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.7.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.9.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.23.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.1.platform=1.3
deployment.javaws.jre.0.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.0.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.2.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.12.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.10.registered=true
deployment.javaws.jre.20.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.0.product=1.4.2_05
deployment.javaws.jre.5.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.4.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.12.product=1.3.0
deployment.javaws.jre.0.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.21.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.12.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.23.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.18.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.8.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.12.path=C\:\\Program Files\\JavaSoft\\JRE\\1.3\\bin\\javaw.exe
deployment.javaws.jre.6.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.10.product=1.4.2_03
deployment.javaws.jre.4.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.10.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.21.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.0.registered=true
deployment.javaws.jre.19.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.10.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.15.registered=true
deployment.javaws.jre.1.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.3.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.23.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.22.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.14.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.16.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.7.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.10.platform=1.4
deployment.javaws.jre.9.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.9.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.23.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.8.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.12.platform=1.3
deployment.javaws.jre.19.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.11.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.19.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.11.registered=true
deployment.javaws.jre.13.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.12.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.5.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.15.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.9.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.21.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.5.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.7.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.1.registered=true
deployment.javaws.jre.17.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.17.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.5.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.16.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.17.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.19.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.15.product=1.5.0
deployment.javaws.jre.3.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.10.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.15.enabled=false
deployment.javaws.jre.1.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.20.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.3.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.15.path=C\:\\Program Files\\Java\\jre1.5.0\\bin\\javaw.exe
deployment.javaws.jre.13.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.0.platform=1.4
deployment.javaws.jre.13.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.15.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.6.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.1.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.8.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.22.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.12.registered=true
deployment.javaws.jre.19.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.1.product=1.3.1
deployment.javaws.jre.3.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.0.path=C\:\\Program Files\\Java\\j2re1.4.2_05\\bin\\javaw.exe
deployment.javaws.jre.1.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.21.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.5.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.11.product=1.4.1_01
deployment.javaws.jre.11.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.6.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.11.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.22.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.2.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.4.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.2.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.7.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.20.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.20.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.17.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.17.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.13.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.21.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.1.path=C\:\\Program Files\\JavaSoft\\JRE\\1.3.1\\bin\\javaw.exe
deployment.javaws.jre.23.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.0.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.11.platform=1.4
deployment.javaws.jre.10.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.13.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.15.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.9.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.6.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.8.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.12.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.10.path=C\:\\Program Files\\Java\\j2re1.4.2_03\\bin\\javaw.exe
deployment.javaws.jre.22.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.15.platform=1.5
deployment.javaws.jre.14.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.18.osarch=x86
deployment.javaws.jre.7.registered=false
deployment.javaws.jre.8.enabled=true
deployment.javaws.jre.16.location=http\://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se
deployment.javaws.jre.11.osname=Windows
deployment.javaws.jre.3.registered=false
#Java Plugin jre's
#Tue Nov 09 16:42:41 GMT 2004
deployment.javapi.jre.1.5.0.args=
deployment.javapi.jre.1.5.0.osname=Windows
deployment.javapi.jre.1.5.0.osarch=x86
deployment.javapi.jre.1.5.0.path=C\:\\Program Files\\Java\\jre1.5.0

---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Delete the deployment file.