Weird Swing Error!

Question

With J2SE 1.4.2 (PREVIOUS VERSIONS DID NOT DO THIS) JDK i RANDOMLY get :
java.lang.NullPointerException
at javax.swing.ImageIcon.<init>(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.ImageIcon.<init>(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.java.swing.plaf.windows.WindowsFileChooserUI$ShortCutPanel.<init>(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.java.swing.plaf.windows.WindowsFileChooserUI.installComponents(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicFileChooserUI.installUI(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.java.swing.plaf.windows.WindowsFileChooserUI.installUI(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.JComponent.setUI(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.JFileChooser.updateUI(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.JFileChooser.setup(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.JFileChooser.<init>(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.JFileChooser.<init>(Unknown Source)
at MMCDCatalog.openDB(MMCDCatalog.java:570)
at MMCDCatalog.access$200(MMCDCatalog.java:77)
at MMCDCatalog$OpenFileAction.actionPerformed(MMCDCatalog.java:1023)
at javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.AbstractButton$ForwardActionEvents.actionPerformed(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.fireActionPerformed(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.setPressed(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicButtonListener.mouseReleased(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.AWTEventMulticaster.mouseReleased(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Container.processEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(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)
with code
JFileChooser fc;
MMCDFileFilter ff;
int dialogReturnVal;
String nameChosen;
//Create a file chooserfc = new JFileChooser();
fc.setMultiSelectionEnabled(false);
fc.setDragEnabled(false);
//Create a new FileFilter
ff = new MMCDFileFilter();
//Add this filter to our File chooser.
fc.addChoosableFileFilter(ff);
fc.setFileFilter(ff);
dialogReturnVal = fc.showOpenDialog(mainFrame);
if (dialogReturnVal == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION) {  
   nameChosen = fc.getSelectedFile().getAbsolutePath();
}which is in my openDB() method, which is called from an actionPerformed() somewhere else that does nothing except calling openDB()
IS THIS A BUG IN SWING 1.4.2??????????????
AH! thought this would be relevant. I also execute the code (when building my GUI) :
try {
UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
} catch (Exception ex) {
    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(mainFrame, "Could not load the look and feel", "Error", JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
} and i'm running Windows XP Pro SP1... since 1.4.2 added the new "Windows XP" look, is it a new introduced bug???? that's why i'm asking :P

Answer 1

1) cross posts are annoying
2) have you tried the same code built on the same Java SDK on a system running Win2000 or Solaris
3) with the honorific "Mastermind" I'm sure you can figure it out.
4) is the line new
//Create a file chooserfc = new JFileChooser(); one line or two? Should it be
//Create a file chooser
fc = new JFileChooser();