Update: After getting the newest .tar.gz (0.2.3) 0f Archive::Tar from podmaster PPM is now working great. Thanks podmaster. feel free to ignore the rest of this post.

I used cpanplus to remove my current Archive::Tar and manually replaced it with the last version i could find that passed on windows(according to cpan testers) Apparently this version of archive::tar(0.2.1) is even more broken in PPM possibly due to changes in it's implementation within PPM(??).. the following results are typical...

ppm> i 2
Package 2:
====================
Install 'Crypt-Blowfish_PP' version 1.12 in ActivePerl 5.8.0.804.
====================
Downloaded 9708 bytes.
Extracting 5/5: blib/arch/auto/Crypt/Blowfish_PP/.exists
Successfully installed Crypt-Blowfish_PP version 1.12 in ActivePerl 5.
+8.0.804.
Can't unlink file C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876/blib/lib/Crypt/blib/l
+ib/auto/Cr
ypt/Blowfish_PP/blib/arch/auto/Crypt/Blowfish_PP/.exists: Permission d
+enied at C
:/Perl5.8/site/lib/PPM/Repository.pm line 239
Can't remove directory C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876/blib/lib/Crypt/b
+lib/lib/au
to/Crypt/Blowfish_PP/blib/arch/auto/Crypt/Blowfish_PP: Directory not e
+mpty at C:
/Perl5.8/site/lib/PPM/Repository.pm line 239
Can't remove directory C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876/blib/lib/Crypt/b
+lib/lib/au
to/Crypt/Blowfish_PP/blib/arch/auto/Crypt: Directory not empty at C:/P
+erl5.8/sit
e/lib/PPM/Repository.pm line 239
Can't remove directory C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876/blib/lib/Crypt/b
+lib/lib/au
to/Crypt/Blowfish_PP/blib/arch/auto: Directory not empty at C:/Perl5.8
+/site/lib/
PPM/Repository.pm line 239
Can't remove directory C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876/blib/lib/Crypt/b
+lib/lib/au
to/Crypt/Blowfish_PP/blib/arch: Directory not empty at C:/Perl5.8/site
+/lib/PPM/R
epository.pm line 239
Can't remove directory C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876/blib/lib/Crypt/b
+lib/lib/au
to/Crypt/Blowfish_PP/blib: Directory not empty at C:/Perl5.8/site/lib/
+PPM/Reposi
tory.pm line 239
Can't remove directory C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876/blib/lib/Crypt/b
+lib/lib/au
to/Crypt/Blowfish_PP: Directory not empty at C:/Perl5.8/site/lib/PPM/R
+epository.
pm line 239
Can't remove directory C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876/blib/lib/Crypt/b
+lib/lib/au
to/Crypt: Directory not empty at C:/Perl5.8/site/lib/PPM/Repository.pm
+ line 239
Can't remove directory C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876/blib/lib/Crypt/b
+lib/lib/au
to: Directory not empty at C:/Perl5.8/site/lib/PPM/Repository.pm line 
+239
Can't remove directory C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876/blib/lib/Crypt/b
+lib/lib: D
irectory not empty at C:/Perl5.8/site/lib/PPM/Repository.pm line 239
Can't remove directory C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876/blib/lib/Crypt/b
+lib: Direc
tory not empty at C:/Perl5.8/site/lib/PPM/Repository.pm line 239
Can't remove directory C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876/blib/lib/Crypt: 
+Directory
not empty at C:/Perl5.8/site/lib/PPM/Repository.pm line 239
Can't remove directory C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876/blib/lib: Direct
+ory not em
pty at C:/Perl5.8/site/lib/PPM/Repository.pm line 239
Can't remove directory C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876/blib: Directory 
+not empty
at C:/Perl5.8/site/lib/PPM/Repository.pm line 239
Can't remove directory C:\Temp/Crypt-Blowfish_PP-6876: Directory not e
+mpty at C:
/Perl5.8/site/lib/PPM/Repository.pm line 239
[download]

There appears to be problems untarring as each directory untarred appears to be nesting within the previous directory. Apparently i'll have to use my other installed perl (5.6.1) whenever i need to use a xs-heavy ppm'd module. i'll report the bug to activestate.