The test results for the serialization library show a problem with VC 8.0 which for the life of me I can't understand. http://www.meta-comm.com/engineering/boost-regression/developer/output/Rudbe kAssociates-bin-boost-libs-serialization-test-test_array_binary_archive-test -vc8-0-debug.html The corresponding code is below. If someone has any insight here I would love to here it. FWIW - no other compiler complains. - and I can't see anything wrong with it. If it's a bug - how do I work around it? Thanks in advance. Robert Ramey namespace boost { namespace archive { namespace detail { template<class Archive, class T> class iserializer; template<class Archive, class T> class oserializer; } // namespace detail } // namespace archive namespace serialization { // forward declarations namespace detail { template<class Archive, class T> struct member_saver; template<class Archive, class T> struct member_loader; } // namespace detail // use an "accessor class so that we can use: // "friend class boost::serialization::access;" // in any serialized class to permit clean, safe access to private class members // by the serialization system class access { public: // grant access to "real" serialization defaults #ifdef BOOST_NO_MEMBER_TEMPLATE_FRIENDS public: #else template<class Archive, class T> friend struct detail::member_saver; template<class Archive, class T> friend struct detail::member_loader; template<class Archive, class T> friend class boost::archive::detail::iserializer; template<class Archive, class T> friend class boost::archive::detail::oserializer; template<class Archive, class T> friend inline void serialize( Archive & ar, T & t, const BOOST_PFTO unsigned int file_version ); template<class Archive, class T> friend inline void save_construct_data( Archive & ar, const T * t, const BOOST_PFTO unsigned int file_version ); template<class Archive, class T> friend inline void load_construct_data( Archive & ar, T * t, const BOOST_PFTO unsigned int file_version ); #endif