application fails to launch

[freekill]

why don't you just install Qt SDK for Windows, it includes mingw32.

why the additional mingw-gcc440_1.zip download?

No need to complicate things - right?

I feel it's the other way around. I feel comfortable coding Qt in notepad++ and editing the .pro file to include the other library I'm working with.

[schnitzel]

I feel it's the other way around. I feel comfortable coding Qt in notepad++ and editing the .pro file to include the other library I'm working with.

I wasn't trying to force you to use Qt Creator... just taking it step by step, going from a known working configuration - that's all.