Yes, my code does use the || die function to ensure the object is actually open. I also use Query Object type to verify it, and then LastError on closing to verify no errors. Actual code is:

use strict;
use Win32::OLE;
use Win32::OLE::Const;
my $HALi;

# Create a new OLE object using the Root Name of HALiCnt.HALi
  $HALi = Win32::OLE->new('HALiCnt.HALi') ||
  die "Cannot create COM server HALiCnt.HALi";

if (Win32::OLE->QueryObjectType($HALi) eq "_HALi"){
print "Successful Com Server creation\n";
}

my $c = $HALi->{'Modes'}->Count();
print $c;

$HALi->DESTROY(); # Call DESTROY to free memory and release the HALi Objects

print "Last OLE Error detected.. ";
print Win32::OLE->LastError();

I have also spent hours with the OLE Browser and OLEView. The object is created successfully, verified, and destroyed all with no errors. But when I try to retrieve Count, it croaks. I have tried many, many variations on the call to Modes.Count. The VB example is simply HALi.Modes.Count but I can't make the Perl translation work. If I had VB I'd try it to verify *IT* works, but I think the proper answer is the lack of IDispatch interface, which I guess means I'm dead.

Thanks for the help

Nathan