OpenCV error: "Cannot load image!"

After compiling OpenCV's source and configuring Windows 7 and VS2010 to link the libraries correctly, I was able to compile the following code:

#include <opencv2/highgui/highgui.hpp>
#include <iostream>

using namespace cv;
using namespace std;
int main()
{
    Mat im = imread("C:\projects\cvtest3\lena.jpg"); // this *is* the proper path, I'm sure

    if (im.empty()) 
    {

        cout << "Cannot load image!" << endl;
                while (true){}
        return -1;
    }
    imshow("Image", im);
    waitKey(0);
}

Even though the path is correctly specified I can't get this code to show the lena image. Is there anything wrong with the code here?

Although the code compiles, this is the full output while building:

'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\projects\cvtest3\Debug\cvtest3.exe', Symbols loaded.
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ntdll.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\kernel32.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\KernelBase.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Users\antonio\Documents\opencv_build_32bits\install\bin\opencv_core249d.dll', Symbols loaded.
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Program Files\NVIDIA GPU Computing Toolkit\CUDA\v5.0\bin\cudart32_50_35.dll', Binary was not built with debug information.
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Program Files\NVIDIA GPU Computing Toolkit\CUDA\v5.0\bin\npp32_50_35.dll', Binary was not built with debug information.
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\msvcp100d.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\msvcr100d.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Users\antonio\Documents\opencv_build_32bits\install\bin\opencv_highgui249d.dll', Symbols loaded.
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\user32.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\gdi32.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\lpk.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\usp10.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\msvcrt.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\advapi32.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\sechost.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\rpcrt4.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\sspicli.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\cryptbase.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ole32.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\oleaut32.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_5.82.7601.17514_none_ec83dffa859149af\comctl32.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\avifil32.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\winmm.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\msacm32.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\msvfw32.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\shell32.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\shlwapi.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\avicap32.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\version.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\imm32.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
'cvtest3.exe': Loaded 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\msctf.dll', Cannot find or open the PDB file
The thread 'Win32 Thread' (0x2028) has exited with code -1073741510 (0xc000013a).

try this code:

#include <opencv2/highgui/highgui.hpp>
#include <opencv2/core/core.hpp>
#include <opencv2/imgproc/imgproc.hpp>

using namespace std;
using namespace cv;

int main()
{
  Mat image = imread("C:\\projects\\cvtest3\\lena.jpg");
  if(image.empty())
    return -1;
  imshow("TEST",image);
  waitKey();

  return 0;
}

1. try using the latest opencv that is 2.4.3
2. link the proper libraries
3. add the include paths properly
4. add the path of the bin folder to the environmental variable path