This function returns null terminated string in the buffer. There's no guaranty that the rest of the buffer not filled with a junk. Try

*sReturn = STRTRAN(sReturn, CHR(0), "")
sReturn = LEFT(sReturn, lRetVal)

>This function returns empty on Win98 PC's. Works fine on
>Win2000.
>
>

>
>DECLARE INTEGER GetPrivateProfileString IN kernel32;
>  STRING   @sAppName,;
>  STRING   @sKeyName,;
>  STRING   @sDefault,;
>  STRING   @sReturn,;
>  INTEGER  @nSize,;
>  STRING   @sFileName
>
>sFileName = LOWER(GETFILE())
>sSection  = "Application"
>sKeyName  = "Top"
>sDefault  = "(#default#)"	&& Return "(#default#)" if value is not found
>iSize	  = 255			&& Size of the string
>sReturn	  = SPACE(iSize)	&& String to contain the returned value
>
>lRetVal = GetPrivateProfileString(@sSection, @sKeyName, @sDefault,;
>		@sReturn, @iSize, @sFileName)
>
>sReturn = STRTRAN(sReturn, CHR(0), "")
>
>MESSAGEBOX(TRANSFORM(lRetVal))
>MESSAGEBOX(sReturn)
>
>RETURN
>
>