ADDITIONAL SYSTEM INFORMATION :
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro (version 1803, OS version 17134.471)
OpenJDK 11.0.1 (2018-10-16), JRE 18.9 (build 11.0.1+13)


A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Option -Xlog does not support Windows absolute paths, namely:
1) OK : -Xlog:class+load:file=app_cds.log
2) KO : -Xlog:class+load:file=c:\temp\app_cds.log
3) OK: -Xlog:class+load:file=\temp\app_cds.log (<== drive C: is assumed here !)

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
C:\temp> javac HelloWorld.java
C:\temp> jar cf app.jar -C . HelloWorld.class
C:\temp> java -XX:DumpLoadedClassList=C:\temp\classlist.txt -classpath app.jar HelloWorld
C:\temp> java -XX:SharedClassListFile=C:\temp\classlist.txt -XX:SharedArchiveFile=c:\temp\app_cds.jsa -Xshare:dump -classpath app.jar
C:\temp>

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
C:\temp> java.exe -Xshare:on -Xlog:class+load:file=app_cds.log -XX:SharedArchiveFile=c:\temp\app_cds.jsa -classpath app.jar HelloWorld
Hello world!
ACTUAL -
C:\temp> java -Xshare:on -Xlog:class+load:file=c:\temp\app_cds.log -XX:SharedArchiveFile=c:\temp\app_cds.jsa -classpath app.jar HelloWorld
[0.003s][error][logging] Invalid decorator '\temp\app_cds.log'.
Invalid -Xlog option '-Xlog:class+load:file=c:\temp\app_cds.log', see error log for details.
Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine.
Error: A fatal exception has occurred. Program will exit.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
// File C:\temp\HelloWorld.java
public class HelloWorld {
    public static void main(String... args) {
        System.out.println("Hello world!");
    }
}
---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
*** simply omit the drive letter "C:" ***
C:\temp> java -Xshare:on -Xlog:class+load:file=\temp\app_cds.log -XX:SharedArchiveFile=c:\temp\app_cds.jsa -classpath app.jar HelloWorld
Hello world!

FREQUENCY : always