Does the same thing on my machine.

Im running Fedora 12, Blender 2.5 -v output:

./blender -v
Blender 2.50 (sub 7) Build
build date: "2009-11-27"
build time: "15:15:38"
build revision: "24951"
build platform: "linux2"
build type: "dynamic"

Confirmed, here's the backtrace:
#0 strlen () at ../sysdeps/x86_64/strlen.S:31
#1 0x0000000000d0773b in BLI_strncpy (dst=0x1ea18c0 "", src=0x22 <Address 0x22 out of bounds>, maxncpy=21)
at /home/nicholasbishop/Blender/trunk/blender/source/blender/blenlib/intern/string.c:58
#2 0x00000000007058a7 in wm_window_match_do (C=0x19228d0, oldwmlist=0x7fffffffdd90)
at /home/nicholasbishop/Blender/trunk/blender/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_files.c:183
#3 0x0000000000705b57 in WM_read_file (C=0x19228d0, name=0x7fffffffdde0 "/home/nicholasbishop/Downloads/Blender 249 - Curve Follow.blend", reports=0x36690c0)
at /home/nicholasbishop/Blender/trunk/blender/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_files.c:261
#4 0x000000000070d683 in wm_open_mainfile_exec (C=0x19228d0, op=0x34db7f0)
at /home/nicholasbishop/Blender/trunk/blender/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_operators.c:1197
#5 0x00000000007039fe in wm_handler_fileselect_call (C=0x19228d0, handlers=0x1ac32d0, handler=0x3344420, event=0x3534b40)
at /home/nicholasbishop/Blender/trunk/blender/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_event_system.c:1041
#6 0x0000000000703deb in wm_handlers_do (C=0x19228d0, event=0x3534b40, handlers=0x1ac32d0)
at /home/nicholasbishop/Blender/trunk/blender/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_event_system.c:1141
#7 0x000000000070437a in wm_event_do_handlers (C=0x19228d0) at /home/nicholasbishop/Blender/trunk/blender/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_event_system.c:1285
#8 0x0000000000701223 in WM_main (C=0x19228d0) at /home/nicholasbishop/Blender/trunk/blender/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm.c:325
#9 0x00000000007004d8 in main (argc=2, argv=0x7fffffffe348) at /home/nicholasbishop/Blender/trunk/blender/source/creator/creator.c:896

Can't reproduced. Preference window is closed when opening a new file.

I suspect it was fixed some time in the past month.

Can anyone who reported it broken test if it still is?

It still happens in r25903, although this time it just freezes instead of crashing. I'm testing it on Windows.

Sorry about that, I had load UI turned on. Debugging time!

Fixed in revision 25972.

I accept that you cannot address every bug in every version of every display driver.
I even accept that this issue is caused by a bug in the display driver.

What I wonder is:

• what does "File / User Preferences" do that no other aspect of Blender does that causes this driver bug to crash the app?

WORKAROUND:

• instead of "File / User Preferences", click the "Editor Type" button in the 3D view area and select "User Preferences".

SO, what does "File / User Preferences" do that "Editor Type / User Preferences" doesn't do?

-Jesse

PS: I have the latest drivers (2009) from Acer (manufacturer) and Intel (chipset) and the issue persists.
(: Yes, this is an old laptop: Acer Inspire 5732Z running Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit :)
And I am running Blender 2.69.