>The sys(2333,1) in the startup of your program should prevent the C000005 error when instantiating the control.

sorry, I meant sys(2333,1). But for me putting in startup just didnt cut it, I still got the error. Maybe the commercial framework I use set it differently somewhere else but that doesnt really seem likely. Putting it right before I called the form with the previewer helped, but it would raise it's head again if launching/closing/launching/closing the previewer's vcx-based form several times in short period of time. To get rid of it consistently I put in the form's Init right before I pass the control the report object and all was well.

go figure.