How do I track down this exception in NetBeans?

Question

I had zero issues installing Java and NetBeans on my Windows 10 desktop which is an older Alienware. I need to get it onto my laptop (also Windows 10) and I have tried numerous versions of JDKs, along with a couple different versions of NetBeans.

Always, the behaviour is as follows: When I start NetBeans after installing it, the screen pops up, the progress bar show modules loading, etc., and then towards the end of the travel of the progress bar, the whole program disappears from the desktop. In Task Manager, it still shows as a process somehow, but you can’t switch to it.

Here is the log showing the exception. How can I fix it?

INFO [org.netbeans.ui.metrics.laf]: USG_LOOK_AND_FEEL
SEVERE [global]
java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Key contains code point U+0000
    at java.prefs/java.util.prefs.AbstractPreferences.get(AbstractPreferences.java:291)
    at java.prefs/java.util.prefs.AbstractPreferences.getBoolean(AbstractPreferences.java:526)
    at org.netbeans.core.windows.TopComponentTracker.load(TopComponentTracker.java:76)
    at org.netbeans.core.windows.PersistenceHandler.load(PersistenceHandler.java:101)
    at org.netbeans.core.windows.WindowSystemImpl.load(WindowSystemImpl.java:56)
    at org.netbeans.core.GuiRunLevel$InitWinSys.run(GuiRunLevel.java:200)
    at java.desktop/java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch(InvocationEvent.java:318)
    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$4.run(EventQueue.java:714)
    at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(AccessController.java:399)
    at java.base/java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:86)
    at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:742)
    at org.netbeans.core.TimableEventQueue.dispatchEvent(TimableEventQueue.java:136)
[catch] 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)
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Answer 1

I solved this by deleting the recommended folder, C:\Users\{User ID}\AppData\Roaming\NetBeans\{NetBeans version}\config, as well as the rest of the NetBeans directory. It had already been uninstalled but, apparently, the directory remained from a previous attempt.

To reinstall it properly, I downloaded the ZIP file of the binaries. It seemed to be an issue with the installer itself.