Create XML Parser Object

I'm trying create an MSXML object so I can load an XML file into it and start to retrieve values from it. The msxml.dll is there and registered. When I try and run the code below either the object doesn't get created or it cannot load the XML file. And I just can't see why. Does anyone have any ideas.

<%
'Create an instance of MSXML to retrieve values from the XML file
set objXML = Server.CreateObject("microsoft.xmldom")

strPath = server.MapPath("books.xml")

'load the XML document that we want to add to the database
objXML.load(strPath)

'see if the object loaded OK
if objXML.parseError.errorCode <> 0 then
Response.Write "object could not open"
else
Response.Write "object opened fine"
end if

set objXML = nothing
%>