There are a number of possibilities, maybe the encoding is incorrectly set 
in the declaration or maybe the document doesn't validate according to the 
DTD.
Do you definitely need to remove both items?
Have you tried setting validateOnParese to false 
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms762791(VS.85).aspx)?
What error message is available (parseError.reason: 
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms756041(VS.85).aspx)

-- 

Joe Fawcett (MVP - XML)

http://joe.fawcett.name

"JG" <jgeissman@s...> wrote in message 
news:MPG.240d1c9256d18b5b98968b@n......
> I'm updating a C++ app from VS2003, using MSXML6.  XML isn't one of my
> primary languages, so I'm having trouble with what is probably a very
> simple matter.
>
> I get XML replies from a web service that begin with <?xml ... ?> and
> then <! DOCTYPE ... > before we get to the root.  As long as those two
> are present, it refuses to load.  I can remove them from the string
> easily enough and then it loads, but I can't believe there isn't some
> parameter I could set that would cause them to be ignored.  Is there?
>
> I'm embarrassed to ask such a simple question.
>
> Thanks,
> Jim Geissman