PyMSSql - import _mssql - ImportError: DLL load failed: The specific module could not be found

under windows xp pro,
When attempting to import pymssql.py,
I experienced the following error:


"
import _mssql
ImportError: DLL load failed: The specific module could not be found
"

So this is all a bit cryptic, but after googling, which suggested using a windows diagnostic tool [ProcessMonitor] to locate the failing process, it turns out that what is missing is an (accessible) copy of 'mscvr71.dll', which can be downloaded off the net, and should be copied to 'c:\windows\system32\', or 'c:\windows\system\' if running 64bit windows.

you then need to run 'regsvr32 msvcr71.dll' from the command line, in the directory that you copied the dll to.

cant find entrypoint

if you get a 'cant find entrypoint' type error message, its actually still all ok, pymssql should run just fine by that point.