I download vc2005 express and install Microsoft Platform SDK for Windows Server 2003 SP1. I use Set Win Svr 2003 32-bit Build Env (Retail) to set the right platform environment and use the script below(vc2005 express and sdk are installed on the default directory) set BOOST_ROOT=c:\opt\boost set PYTHON_ROOT=c:\python set PYTHON_VERSION=2.4 call "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\bin\vcvars32.bat" @set BZIP2_SOURCE=c:\opt\bzip2 @set ZLIB_SOURCE=c:\opt\zlib @set TOOLS=vc-8_0 bjam "-sBUILD=debug release <runtime-link>static/dynamic <threading>multi" --with-regex stage >log.txt 2>err.txt I got the error below ============================== vc-C++ bin\boost\libs\regex\build\boost_regex.dll\vc-8_0\debug\threading-multi\regex_traits_defaults.obj regex_traits_defaults.cpp C:\opt\boost\libs\regex\build\../src/regex_traits_defaults.cpp : warning C4819: The file contains a character that cannot be represented in the current code page (936). Save the file in Unicode format to prevent data loss C:\opt\boost\libs\regex\build\../src/regex_traits_defaults.cpp(668) : warning C4819: The file contains a character that cannot be represented in the current code page (936). Save the file in Unicode format to prevent data loss C:\opt\boost\libs\regex\build\../src/regex_traits_defaults.cpp(690) : fatal error C1071: unexpected end of file found in comment CALL "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\Tools\..\..\VC\bin\vcvars32.BAT" >nul "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\Tools\..\..\VC\bin\cl" /Zm800 -nologo EHsc -c -DBOOST_REGEX_CONFIG_INFO=1 -DBOOST_REGEX_DYN_LINK=1 /Z7 /Od /Ob0 /EHsc /GR /MDd /Zc:forScope c:wchar_t -I"bin\boost\libs\regex\build" -I"C:\opt\boost" -Fo"bin\boost\libs\regex\build\boost_regex.dll\vc-8_0\debug\threading-multi\regex_traits_defaults.obj" -Tp"C:\opt\boost\libs\regex\build\../src/regex_traits_defaults.cpp" ============================== I find the description of fatal error C1071 in MSDN ============================== unexpected end of file found in comment The compiler reached the end of the file while scanning a comment. Possible causes Missing comment terminator (*/). Missing newline character after a comment on the last line of a source file. The following sample generates C1071: // C1071.cpp int main() { } /* this comment is fine */ /* forgot the closing tag // C1071 ============================== But regex can be compiled with vc7.1, I want to know if it is the vc8 express's fatal. Since I do not own a copy of VC8, I have not tried to compile boost 1.33.1 on it.