Code posted by Stefan Pendl on http://libertybasic.conforums.com/index.cgi tips board then then turned into a function'function [[code vbnet]] function ErrorMessageFromAPI$() calldll #kernel32, "GetLastError", _ ErrorCode as ulong dwFlags = _FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM nSize = 1024 lpBuffer$ = space$(nSize); chr$(0) dwMessageID = ErrorCode calldll #kernel32, "FormatMessageA", _ dwFlags as ulong, _ lpSource as ulong, _ dwMessageID as ulong, _ dwLanguageID as ulong, _ lpBuffer$ as ptr, _ nSize as ulong, _ Arguments as ulong, _ result as ulong ErrorMessageFromAPI$ = "Error "; ErrorCode; ": "; left$(lpBuffer$, result) end function [[code]]