>>I have a form with close button whose Click method is:
>>THISFORM.Release
>>
>>The problem is that when I exit the form this way,
>>it leaves its object in memory with a .NULL. value.
>>The next time I run the form it does not instantiate
>>its contained objects correctly.

I am under the impression that you can overwrite
an object. Example
abc=CREATEOBJECT('WHATEVER')
abc=CREATEOBJECT('WHATEVER')

I do this with my global variable class (a bit
more tidy then good old global variables)
all the time and never have run into problems.
(If I am understanding your question correctly.)

Perhaps in the something in another event
is not actually releasing the form although
the form is being hidden. Check the QueryUnLoad,
Release, Destroy events of the form itself
(not the button) to see if something
is stopping the release.

Or (I've done this one), I used a SUSPEND
statement somewhere in a program and tried
to run the form again.