the Inline::C script and the C script are finding different files

Spot on! But problem persists. I'm embarrassed to admit ("what else he forgot to mention?"), that I must have placed FreeImage.dll (and *.lib, and *.h) into appropriate "system" GCC folders, when started experiments a couple weeks ago. However, if I either (1) modify Perl script as you suggest, or (2) delete mentioned files and add "-I. -L." to C command line -- the end results are the same. The compiled exe runs OK, Perl crashes.

just general debugging advice...

Thanks, bliako! I've already checked that all functions (including "FreeImage_GetFileType") complete successfully for a TIF, and all up to and including "FreeImage_GetTagKey" for a JPG. And compiler flags for *.c file were taken from *.inl, with Perl related defines omitted. Same result if I copy verbatim from "perl -V:ccflags"

Anonymous Monk: other info, obtained after click-click in said GUI:

Error signature
AppName: perl.exe	 AppVer: 5.28.0.1	 ModName: freeimage.dll
ModVer: 3.18.0.0	 Offset: 00066bf0

As I said, the problem is not worth too much effort, please don't waste your time. I can only add, there's PDL::IO::Image which uses Alien::FreeImage, which includes FreeImage source (version 3.017), they work successfully on this 32-bit installation (and, yes, I also tried to clean-delete Alien::FreeImage and its compiled library, no changes).