If that doesn't show any obvious problems, take a good look at the docs for Crypt::SSLeay. Especially the compatibility notes, the win32 notes and the openssl dependency.

I can't really provide you with more windows help, since I hardly use windows.

update: also, apparently activestate perl can be quite picky about the compiler used to build it's extensions. if possible try to figure out the exact compiler used to build perl and build openssl & the module with that.

1. I'm getting very confusing information from this WinXP box as to whether Crypt-SSLeay has been installed or not. On the one hand ....

C:\Perl\site\lib\Crypt\SSLeay>dir
 Volume in drive C has no label.
 Volume Serial Number is 7CBF-35A0
 
 Directory of C:\Perl\site\lib\Crypt\SSLeay
 
11/21/2006  12:32 PM    <DIR>          .
11/21/2006  12:32 PM    <DIR>          ..
11/21/2006  12:32 PM                55 Conn.pm
11/21/2006  12:32 PM                54 CTX.pm
11/21/2006  12:32 PM                54 Err.pm
11/21/2006  12:32 PM             1,187 MainContext.pm
11/21/2006  12:32 PM               620 X509.pm
               5 File(s)          1,970 bytes
               2 Dir(s)  69,418,430,464 bytes free
[download]

... and

C:\Perl\site\lib\auto\Crypt\SSLeay>dir
 Volume in drive C has no label.
 Volume Serial Number is 7CBF-35A0

 Directory of C:\Perl\site\lib\auto\Crypt\SSLeay
 
11/21/2006  12:32 PM    <DIR>          .
11/21/2006  12:32 PM    <DIR>          ..
11/21/2006  12:32 PM               538 .packlist
11/21/2006  12:32 PM                 0 SSLeay.bs
11/21/2006  12:32 PM            32,843 SSLeay.dll
11/21/2006  12:32 PM               820 SSLeay.exp
11/21/2006  12:32 PM             2,190 SSLeay.lib
11/21/2006  12:32 PM           197,632 SSLeay.pdb
               6 File(s)        234,023 bytes
               2 Dir(s)  69,418,430,464 bytes free
[download]

... but, on the other hand ...

C:\Documents and Settings>ppm verify Crypt::SSLeay
ppm verify failed: Package 'Crypt::SSLeay' is not installed
[download]

Is it or isn't it? Only SSLeay's hairdresser knows for sure. I'm now waiting for a sysadmin to come by so we can try a re-install of the ppm.

2. Unfortunately the Crypt-SSLeay docs have not been updated in three years. The Windows-specific suggestions there are out-of-date, e.g., ActiveState is hundreds of builds past the ones mentioned in the docs. But because in my testing I'm trying to replicate the conditions in which "average Win32 Perl users" work, I have to get this application working on ActivePerl.

Thanks for taking the time to explore this problem.

Jim Keenan

How have you investigated load_file:Access is denied?
Don't rely on ppm verify. Download Crypt::SSLeay and run the test-suite by hand.