FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version " 1.7.0_17 "
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_17-b02)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 23.7-b01, mixed mode)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Windows server 2003 R2, SP2

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
passing " -Dfile.separator=\ " parameter causes JVM crash, output

D:\>D:\java\jdk1.7.0_17\bin\java.exe -Dfile.separator=\ -version
Error occurred during initialization of VM
java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError
        at java.lang.Runtime.loadLibrary0(Runtime.java:841)
        at java.lang.System.loadLibrary(System.java:1084)
        at java.lang.System.initializeSystemClass(System.java:1145)
Caused by: java.lang.StringIndexOutOfBoundsException: String index out of range: 0
        at java.lang.String.charAt(String.java:658)
        at java.io.Win32FileSystem.<init>(Win32FileSystem.java:40)
        at java.io.WinNTFileSystem.<init>(WinNTFileSystem.java:37)
        at java.io.FileSystem.getFileSystem(Native Method)
        at java.io.File.<clinit>(File.java:156)
        at java.lang.Runtime.loadLibrary0(Runtime.java:841)
        at java.lang.System.loadLibrary(System.java:1084)
        at java.lang.System.initializeSystemClass(System.java:1145)


REGRESSION. Last worked in version 6u31

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
either
D:\java\jdk1.7.0_17\bin\java.exe -Dfile.separator=\ -version
or
D:\java\jdk1.7.0_17\bin\java.exe -Dfile.separator=\ <any-main-class>



ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError
        at java.lang.Runtime.loadLibrary0(Runtime.java:841)
        at java.lang.System.loadLibrary(System.java:1084)
        at java.lang.System.initializeSystemClass(System.java:1145)
Caused by: java.lang.StringIndexOutOfBoundsException: String index out of range: 0
        at java.lang.String.charAt(String.java:658)
        at java.io.Win32FileSystem.<init>(Win32FileSystem.java:40)
        at java.io.WinNTFileSystem.<init>(WinNTFileSystem.java:37)
        at java.io.FileSystem.getFileSystem(Native Method)
        at java.io.File.<clinit>(File.java:156)
        at java.lang.Runtime.loadLibrary0(Runtime.java:841)
        at java.lang.System.loadLibrary(System.java:1084)
        at java.lang.System.initializeSystemClass(System.java:1145)

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.