This minimal program below fails in 6.8.1, works for 6.6.1, for up to date HDBC-ODBC-1.1.3. (I tried installing both from package and from darcs head) Installed and running from cygwin. When I run it as runghc fail.hs I get a windows popup error "ghc.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close, sorry for the inconvenience". ghci, same behavior. When I run it as ghc -e 'main' fail.hs, I don't get a popup window, and no error message is output, but it fails all the same. (I know this because more complicated, non-minimal programs, fail.) So this would seem to be a problem with ghc 6.8.1. $ cat fail.hs import Database.HDBC import Database.HDBC.ODBC main = connectODBC "some valid connect string, works when run from 6.6.1, not from 6.8.1" --- This e-mail may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient (or have received this e-mail in error) please notify the sender immediately and destroy this e-mail. Any unauthorized copying, disclosure or distribution of the material in this e-mail is strictly forbidden.