When I run "ant build" using Java 1.4, I get an error ntvdm.exe failed. Error 
while setting up environmetn for the application. Changing JAVA_HOME to use 
java 1.3.1, everything works. Also using the same ant script on an NT2000 
system and java 1.4, it works. 

It is only on a Win XP using java 1.4 and ant 1.4.1 that the build fails.

Here's the verbose listing:
$ ant -verbose build
[: Kaufman/.antrc: unknown operand
Ant version 1.4.1 compiled on October 11 2001
Buildfile: build.xml
Detected Java version: 1.4 in: c:\java\j2sdk1.4.0\jre
Detected OS: Windows XP
parsing buildfile c:\work\dev\build\build.xml with URI = 
file:c:/work/dev/build/
build.xml
Project base dir set to: C:\work\dev\build
 [property] Loading C:\work\dev\build\build.properties
 [property] Override ignored for basedir
 [property] Loading Environment env.

BUILD FAILED

c:\work\dev\build\build.xml:9: java.lang.NullPointerException
        at org.apache.tools.ant.ProjectHelper.parse(ProjectHelper.java:135)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.ProjectHelper.configureProject
(ProjectHelper.jav
a:85)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.Main.runBuild(Main.java:439)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.Main.start(Main.java:153)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.Main.main(Main.java:176)
--- Nested Exception ---
java.lang.NullPointerException
        at org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.Property.loadEnvironment
(Property.java:
253)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.Property.execute(Property.java:183)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.ProjectHelper$TaskHandler.finished
(ProjectHelper
.java:485)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.ProjectHelper$AbstractHandler.endElement
(Project
Helper.java:204)
        at org.xml.sax.helpers.XMLReaderAdapter.endElement
(XMLReaderAdapter.java
:347)
        at org.apache.crimson.parser.Parser2.maybeElement(Parser2.java:1536)
        at org.apache.crimson.parser.Parser2.content(Parser2.java:1779)
        at org.apache.crimson.parser.Parser2.maybeElement(Parser2.java:1507)
        at org.apache.crimson.parser.Parser2.parseInternal(Parser2.java:500)
        at org.apache.crimson.parser.Parser2.parse(Parser2.java:305)
        at org.apache.crimson.parser.XMLReaderImpl.parse
(XMLReaderImpl.java:442)

        at org.xml.sax.helpers.XMLReaderAdapter.parse
(XMLReaderAdapter.java:223)

        at javax.xml.parsers.SAXParser.parse(SAXParser.java:314)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.ProjectHelper.parse(ProjectHelper.java:117)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.ProjectHelper.configureProject
(ProjectHelper.jav
a:85)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.Main.runBuild(Main.java:439)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.Main.start(Main.java:153)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.Main.main(Main.java:176)

Total time: 49 seconds