You can create a working starter project that creates a simple COM object using the COM/ATL project wizards in Visual C++. File->New->Project, then select project type "Visual C++ Projects", "ATL", "ATL Project". Then right-click the new project in the class view, select Add->Add Class. Then select the "ATL" category, and select "ATL Simple Object". Fill in names for your object and there you go, you have a working COM object.