I tried the updated code and got an error as well, untill I went back and removed the spaces between the lines.
Code:
alias proguptime {
  var %a = $$1 $+ $ticks, %b = b $+ %a, %c = creationdate,name
  .comopen %a WbemScripting.SWbemLocator
  if ($comerr) return COM Error
  .comclose %a $com(%a,ConnectServer,1,dispatch* %b) 
  if ($com(%b)) .comclose %b $com(%b,ExecQuery,1,bstr*,SELECT %c FROM $&
    Win32_Process WHERE name LIKE $+(",$replace($1,*,%,?,_),"),dispatch* %a)
  if (!$com(%a)) return COM Error
  %c = $iif($prop == name,$comval(%a,$2,name))
  %b = $comval(%a,$iif($2 isnum 0-,$2,1),creationdate)
  .comclose %a
  if (%b) return $iif(!$2,%b,%c $msdate(%b))
}

alias msdate {
  return $duration($calc($ctime - $ctime($+($left($$1,4),-,$mid($1,5,2),-, $&
    $mid($1,7,2) $mid($1,9,2),:,$mid($1,11,2),:,$mid($1,13,2)))))
}

also note the one line is split with the $& you might try removing that and having that all one line