ADDITIONAL SYSTEM INFORMATION :
Windows 10, Windows 10 pro, Windows 11

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Opening Windows folder with JFileChooser and com.sun.java.swing.plaf.windows.WindowsLookAndFeel causes a NullPointerException: Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke "java.awt.Image.getWidth(java.awt.image.ImageObserver)" because "retVal" is null

Probably somehow related with JDK-8293862, JDK-8320692.
Problem does not occur with JDK 23.0.0.beta.11. so a backport might help.

Problem was also reported by customers who used a network share to open files. But I was not able to reproduce that- definetely reproducible by opening the windows folder

REGRESSION : Last worked in version 17.0.10

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
Use windows Operating System (windows 10 or 11).
Set Look and feel to "com.sun.java.swing.plaf.windows.WindowsLookAndFeel"
Create a Swing dialog that opens a JFileChooser.
Navigate to Windows Folder.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
Windows directory opens and all entries are shown
ACTUAL -
Windows folder is not opened, JFileChooser can not open any other directory afterwards. NPE is thrown:

Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke "java.awt.Image.getWidth(java.awt.image.ImageObserver)" because "retVal" is null
at java.desktop/sun.awt.shell.Win32ShellFolder2$MultiResolutionIconImage.getResolutionVariant(Win32ShellFolder2.java:1459)
at java.desktop/sun.awt.shell.Win32ShellFolder2$MultiResolutionIconImage.getBaseImage(Win32ShellFolder2.java:1438)
at java.desktop/java.awt.image.AbstractMultiResolutionImage.getProperty(AbstractMultiResolutionImage.java:140)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.ImageIcon.<init>(ImageIcon.java:255)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.ImageIcon.<init>(ImageIcon.java:241)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.filechooser.FileSystemView.getSystemIcon(FileSystemView.java:252)
at java.desktop/com.sun.java.swing.plaf.windows.WindowsFileChooserUI$WindowsFileView.getIcon(WindowsFileChooserUI.java:1352)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JFileChooser.getIcon(JFileChooser.java:1613)
at java.desktop/sun.swing.FilePane$FileRenderer.getListCellRendererComponent(FilePane.java:1635)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicListUI.updateLayoutState(BasicListUI.java:1444)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicListUI.maybeUpdateLayoutState(BasicListUI.java:1394)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicListUI.paintImpl(BasicListUI.java:330)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicListUI.paint(BasicListUI.java:306)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.plaf.ComponentUI.update(ComponentUI.java:161)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JComponent.paintComponent(JComponent.java:852)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JComponent.paint(JComponent.java:1128)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JComponent.paintToOffscreen(JComponent.java:5318)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.RepaintManager$PaintManager.paintDoubleBufferedImpl(RepaintManager.java:1656)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.RepaintManager$PaintManager.paintDoubleBuffered(RepaintManager.java:1631)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.RepaintManager$PaintManager.paint(RepaintManager.java:1569)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.RepaintManager.paint(RepaintManager.java:1336)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JComponent._paintImmediately(JComponent.java:5266)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JComponent.paintImmediately(JComponent.java:5076)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.RepaintManager$4.run(RepaintManager.java:878)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.RepaintManager$4.run(RepaintManager.java:861)
at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(AccessController.java:400)
at java.base/java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:87)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.RepaintManager.paintDirtyRegions(RepaintManager.java:861)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.RepaintManager.paintDirtyRegions(RepaintManager.java:834)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.RepaintManager.prePaintDirtyRegions(RepaintManager.java:784)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.RepaintManager$ProcessingRunnable.run(RepaintManager.java:1897)
at java.desktop/java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch$$$capture(InvocationEvent.java:318)
at java.desktop/java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch(InvocationEvent.java)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:773)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:720)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:714)
at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(AccessController.java:400)
at java.base/java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:87)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:742)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:203)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:124)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:117)
at java.desktop/java.awt.WaitDispatchSupport$2.run(WaitDispatchSupport.java:191)
at java.desktop/java.awt.WaitDispatchSupport$4.run(WaitDispatchSupport.java:236)
at java.desktop/java.awt.WaitDispatchSupport$4.run(WaitDispatchSupport.java:234)
at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(AccessController.java:319)
at java.desktop/java.awt.WaitDispatchSupport.enter(WaitDispatchSupport.java:234)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Dialog.show(Dialog.java:1079)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JFileChooser.showDialog(JFileChooser.java:771)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JFileChooser.showOpenDialog(JFileChooser.java:668)
at org.example.JFileChooserBugDemo.showOpenFileDialog(JFileChooserBugDemo.java:34)
at org.example.JFileChooserBugDemo.lambda$new$0(JFileChooserBugDemo.java:14)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(AbstractButton.java:1972)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.AbstractButton$Handler.actionPerformed(AbstractButton.java:2314)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.fireActionPerformed(DefaultButtonModel.java:407)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.setPressed(DefaultButtonModel.java:262)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicButtonListener.mouseReleased(BasicButtonListener.java:279)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Component.java:6621)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(JComponent.java:3398)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.processEvent(Component.java:6386)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Container.processEvent(Container.java:2266)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Component.java:4996)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2324)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4828)
at java.desktop/java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Container.java:4948)
at java.desktop/java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Container.java:4575)
at java.desktop/java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Container.java:4516)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2310)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Window.java:2780)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4828)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:775)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:720)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:714)
at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(AccessController.java:400)
at java.base/java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:87)
at java.base/java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:98)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$5.run(EventQueue.java:747)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$5.run(EventQueue.java:745)
at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(AccessController.java:400)
at java.base/java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:87)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:744)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:203)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:124)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:113)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:109)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:101)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:90)
Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke "java.awt.Image.getWidth(java.awt.image.ImageObserver)" because "retVal" is null
at java.desktop/sun.awt.shell.Win32ShellFolder2$MultiResolutionIconImage.getResolutionVariant(Win32ShellFolder2.java:1459)
at java.desktop/sun.awt.shell.Win32ShellFolder2$MultiResolutionIconImage.getBaseImage(Win32ShellFolder2.java:1438)
at java.desktop/java.awt.image.AbstractMultiResolutionImage.getProperty(AbstractMultiResolutionImage.java:140)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.ImageIcon.<init>(ImageIcon.java:255)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.ImageIcon.<init>(ImageIcon.java:241)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.filechooser.FileSystemView.getSystemIcon(FileSystemView.java:252)
at java.desktop/com.sun.java.swing.plaf.windows.WindowsFileChooserUI$WindowsFileView.getIcon(WindowsFileChooserUI.java:1352)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JFileChooser.getIcon(JFileChooser.java:1613)
at java.desktop/sun.swing.FilePane$FileRenderer.getListCellRendererComponent(FilePane.java:1635)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicListUI.updateLayoutState(BasicListUI.java:1444)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicListUI.maybeUpdateLayoutState(BasicListUI.java:1394)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicListUI.locationToIndex(BasicListUI.java:1009)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JList.locationToIndex(JList.java:1627)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JList.getToolTipText(JList.java:1562)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.ToolTipManager$insideTimerAction.actionPerformed(ToolTipManager.java:693)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.Timer.fireActionPerformed(Timer.java:311)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.Timer$DoPostEvent.run(Timer.java:243)
at java.desktop/java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch$$$capture(InvocationEvent.java:318)
at java.desktop/java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch(InvocationEvent.java)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:773)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:720)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:714)
at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(AccessController.java:400)
at java.base/java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:87)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:742)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:203)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:124)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:117)
at java.desktop/java.awt.WaitDispatchSupport$2.run(WaitDispatchSupport.java:191)
at java.desktop/java.awt.WaitDispatchSupport$4.run(WaitDispatchSupport.java:236)
at java.desktop/java.awt.WaitDispatchSupport$4.run(WaitDispatchSupport.java:234)
at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(AccessController.java:319)
at java.desktop/java.awt.WaitDispatchSupport.enter(WaitDispatchSupport.java:234)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Dialog.show(Dialog.java:1079)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JFileChooser.showDialog(JFileChooser.java:771)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JFileChooser.showOpenDialog(JFileChooser.java:668)
at org.example.JFileChooserBugDemo.showOpenFileDialog(JFileChooserBugDemo.java:34)
at org.example.JFileChooserBugDemo.lambda$new$0(JFileChooserBugDemo.java:14)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(AbstractButton.java:1972)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.AbstractButton$Handler.actionPerformed(AbstractButton.java:2314)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.fireActionPerformed(DefaultButtonModel.java:407)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.setPressed(DefaultButtonModel.java:262)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicButtonListener.mouseReleased(BasicButtonListener.java:279)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Component.java:6621)
at java.desktop/javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(JComponent.java:3398)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.processEvent(Component.java:6386)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Container.processEvent(Container.java:2266)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Component.java:4996)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2324)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4828)
at java.desktop/java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Container.java:4948)
at java.desktop/java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Container.java:4575)
at java.desktop/java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Container.java:4516)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2310)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Window.java:2780)
at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4828)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:775)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:720)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:714)
at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(AccessController.java:400)
at java.base/java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:87)
at java.base/java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:98)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$5.run(EventQueue.java:747)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$5.run(EventQueue.java:745)
at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(AccessController.java:400)
at java.base/java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:87)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:744)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:203)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:124)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:113)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:109)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:101)
at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:90)

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
public class JFileChooserBugDemo extends JFrame {

    public JFileChooserBugDemo() {
        super("bug demo");
        setLayout(new FlowLayout());
        JButton buttonBrowse = new JButton("Browse...");

        buttonBrowse.addActionListener(arg0 -> showOpenFileDialog());

        getContentPane().add(buttonBrowse);
        setSize(300, 100);
        setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        setVisible(true);
    }

    public static void main(String[] args)
            throws UnsupportedLookAndFeelException, ClassNotFoundException, InstantiationException,
            IllegalAccessException {
        //UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
        UIManager.setLookAndFeel("com.sun.java.swing.plaf.windows.WindowsLookAndFeel");

        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(JFileChooserBugDemo::new);
    }

    private void showOpenFileDialog() {
        JFileChooser fileChooser = new JFileChooser();
        int result = fileChooser.showOpenDialog(this);

        if (result == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION) {
            File selectedFile = fileChooser.getSelectedFile();
            System.out.println("Selected file: " + selectedFile.getAbsolutePath());
        }
    }
}
---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
user must copy necessary files to a different location. Might not be appropriate for all use cases.

FREQUENCY : always