My results from installing Win32API::CommPort on Strawberry 5.12.3.

cpan[1]> install Win32API::CommPort
Going to read 'C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\.cpan\Metadata'
  Database was generated on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 03:31:03 GMT
Fetching with LWP:
http://cpan.netnitco.net/authors/01mailrc.txt.gz
Going to read 'C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\.cpan\sources\authors\0
+1mailrc.tx
t.gz'
......................................................................
+......DONE

Fetching with LWP:
http://cpan.netnitco.net/modules/02packages.details.txt.gz
Going to read 'C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\.cpan\sources\modules\0
+2packages.
details.txt.gz'
  Database was generated on Thu, 01 Nov 2012 03:43:03 GMT
..............
  New CPAN.pm version (v1.9800) available.
  [Currently running version is v1.9600]
  You might want to try
    install CPAN
    reload cpan
  to both upgrade CPAN.pm and run the new version without leaving
  the current session.


..............................................................DONE
Fetching with LWP:
http://cpan.netnitco.net/modules/03modlist.data.gz
Going to read 'C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\.cpan\sources\modules\0
+3modlist.d
ata.gz'
......................................................................
+......DONE

Going to write C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\.cpan\Metadata
Running install for module 'Win32API::CommPort'
Running make for B/BB/BBIRTH/Win32-SerialPort-0.22.tar.gz
Fetching with LWP:
http://cpan.netnitco.net/authors/id/B/BB/BBIRTH/Win32-SerialPort-0.22.
+tar.gz
Fetching with LWP:
http://cpan.netnitco.net/authors/id/B/BB/BBIRTH/CHECKSUMS
Checksum for C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\.cpan\sources\authors\id\
+B\BB\BBIRT
H\Win32-SerialPort-0.22.tar.gz ok
Scanning cache C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\.cpan\build for sizes
......................................................................
+......DONE


  CPAN.pm: Going to build B/BB/BBIRTH/Win32-SerialPort-0.22.tar.gz

found result=0, file=COM1
            Win32::SerialPort and Win32API::CommPort
                        VERSION 0.22

A 'Makefile' created for those with 'make' or CPAN.pm users.
It will test using PORT = COM1. To test using a different PORT,
run again specifying: 'perl Makefile.PL TESTPORT=<PORT>'
The normal 'Mantra' would then apply:
        make
        make test
        make install

For those without 'make' or an equivalent like 'nmake' or 'dmake' ther
+e
are perl-only scripts which do the same things:
        Test with:    perl nomake_test
        Install with: perl nomake_install

Test with nothing connected to COM1.
PORT is not verified present and accessible until tests run.
Timeout tests can take up to 30 seconds per test.

Creating new t/DefaultPort.pm
Creating new nomake_test
Creating new nomake_install
Checking if your kit is complete...
Looks good
Writing Makefile for Win32::SerialPort
Could not read metadata file. Falling back to other methods to determi
+ne prerequ
isites

Microsoft (R) Program Maintenance Utility Version 7.10.3077
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

syntax error at -e line 1, near "'755')
"
Missing right curly or square bracket at -e line 1, at end of line
Execution of -e aborted due to compilation errors.
NMAKE : fatal error U1077: 'C:\sperl\perl\bin\perl.exe' : return code 
+'0xff'
Stop.
  BBIRTH/Win32-SerialPort-0.22.tar.gz
  C:/PROGRA~1/MICROS~2.NET/Vc7/bin/nmake.exe -- NOT OK
Running make test
  Can't test without successful make
Running make install
  Make had returned bad status, install seems impossible
Failed during this command:
 BBIRTH/Win32-SerialPort-0.22.tar.gz          : make NO


cpan[2]>
[download]

update: this output is from a broken cpan shell installation, please ignore