My perl is ActiveState 5.8.7 build 813.
I do not encounter any issues running this code on an older version of Visual Studio C++. This problem only happens with the newer (free) enviroment ( as in there is no such thing as free beer I suspect ).
I downloaded and installed the free Visual C++ tools at: http://lab.msdn.microsoft.com/express/visualc/ and the new Platform SDK (which you need).
Then, I did a quick and dirty test.

1. h2xs -A -n myModule
2. perl Makefile.pl 3. edit myModule.xs
#include "EXTERN.h"
#include "perl.h"
#include "XSUB.h"

int test ( int a )
{
    return a;
}

MODULE = myModule        PACKAGE = myModule        

int
test( int a )

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4. nmake
(I only got 1 warning about -Gf being deprecated, so I looked up the error and changed the flag to -GF and it compiles with out error. All good so far. )
5. nmake install
6. open up the editor and write a quick script where I call the brain-dead function.
use strict;
use myModule;
my $var = myModule::test(123);
print $var;

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7. When I run the script I get a VC++ runtime error: 
C:\Perl\bin\perl.exe
R6034 An application has made an attempt to load the C runtime library
+ incorrectly.

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And perl dies complaining:

Can't load 'C:/Perl/site/lib/auto/myModule/myModule.dll' for module my
+Module: load_file:A dynamic
 link library (DLL) initialization routine failed at C:/Perl/lib/XSLoa
+der.pm line 68.
 at C:/Perl/site/lib/myModule.pm line 31
Compilation failed in require at c:\progs\ptest.pl line 1.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at c:\progs\ptest.pl line 1.

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Question 1: Does anyone know what is broken and how to fix it?

Question 2: I can see that the -Gf flag needs to be fixed, how to I make the change so that when I use h2xs in the future that that flag is fixed?
Thanks!
JamesNC
Update and solution:
The solution is to create an XML file called perl.exe.manifest and place it in the same directory as your perl.exe and put the following contents in that file: 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.
+0">
<assemblyIdentity version="0.0.0.0" processorArchitecture="X86" name="
+Perl" type="win32" />
<description>Perl</description>
<dependency>
    <dependentAssembly>
      <assemblyIdentity type="win32" name="Microsoft.VC80.CRT" version
+="8.0.50215.4631" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b
+9a1e18e3b"></assemblyIdentity>
    </dependentAssembly>
  </dependency>
</assembly>

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Thanks to everyone who helped. Especially ++Pod Master.
JamesNC

In reply to Problems with FREE MS VC++ tools by JamesNC

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