Note that you release COM objects, but delete widgets. A release is different from a delete because, by convention, a COM object stays around until there are no other references to it. In the case of an ActiveX control, the control-frame is a COM object that references the control (see Introduction to External Program Interfaces). If you set a component handle variable to the control, this is a second reference. However, no matter how many component handle variables you set to the same control, this represents a single reference from ABL. (ABL takes care of this for you.) If you release the control through a component handle while its control-frame is still instantiated, the control remains instantiated because the control-frame COM object still references the control. In this case, you must delete the control-frame widget to finally free the ActiveX control. In a similar way, multiple COM object references can also keep an Automation object and its resources tied up longer than necessary.