Re: stl string find issue

I have a function that is stripping off some XML from a configuration
file. But, when I do a search for the pieces I want to strip, the
std::string::find() function always returns std::string::npos (-1).

I can print out the config string at the beginning of CleanCfgFile(),
and the strings are there exactly the way I'm looking for them. So, the
question is, what am I doing wrong?

Function()
{
    std::vector<TCHAR> configString(bufLen);
    //populate configString....
    CleanCfgFile(reinterpret_cast<std::string*>(&configString));
    //...
}

bool CleanCfgFile(std::string *cfgFile)
{
    TCHAR XMLHeader[] = _T("<?xml");

    std::string::size_type start = cfgFile->find(XMLHeader);
    //start == std::string::npos!
    //...
}

Why am I using a vector and not a string in Function(), you ask? It's
just easier for the rest of the program. I could probably change it if
that's the problem... I just thought you could cast between the two and
be fine.