please provide the shortest possible code that produces this error.

If you mean php code, here goes:
-
$instance = new COM("WinampCOM.Application");
$title = $instance->CurrentSongTitle;
-
The $title line will produce the error if run via the httpd, but not if pasted in the stdin of php.exe.  The WinampCOM.Application com requires a winamp module, which can be found at http://www.adcock8.freeserve.co.uk/gen_com.zip
If any more info is needed, please don't hesitate to ask.

If you mean php code, here goes:
-
$instance = new COM("WinampCOM.Application");
$title = $instance->CurrentSongTitle;
-
The $title line will produce the error if run via the httpd, but not if pasted in the stdin of php.exe.  The WinampCOM.Application com requires a winamp module, which can be found at http://www.adcock8.freeserve.co.uk/gen_com.zip
If any more info is needed, please don't hesitate to ask.

I am having the same problem which is a bit
stranger though.

One time my call is correct while done in another
place produces php_OLECHAR_to_char error message.

Working:
$pdflib = new COM("PDFlib_com.PDF");
print $pdflib->get_parameter("version",0);

Prints version string as expected.

Not working:
$pdflib = new COM("PDFlib_com.PDF");
print $pdflib->set_parameter("fontwarning",1);
print $pdflib->get_parameter("version",0);

Produces error message for the get_parameter line
and "0" (true !!! in php for PDFlib, -1 is false)
for the fontwarning line.

Also, to make it even stranger, at least to me:
When I switch the line in the non-working example,
I both get the version string and "0" for the 
fontwarning

Is there something wrong about the way I connect
to PDFLib ?

HTH

W.

I get the same error when I try to run the following code:
-
$af = new COM("AtheneFile.File");
$af->SetDatabaseDetails("server", "database", "user", "pass");
$sti = $af->GetFile(295721, "c:\\test.doc");
-
It is the last line that fails.

This is my system data:
PHP Version: 4.0.6
System: Windows NT 5.0 build 2195 
Build Date: Jun 22 2001 
Server API: CGI 
Virtual Directory Support: enabled 
Configuration File (php.ini) Path: C:\WINNT\php.ini 
ZEND_DEBUG: disabled 
Thread Safety: enabled

should be fixed in cvs now