diff --git a/core/gimx.c b/core/gimx.c
index 8d4c60e2..c5328632 100755
--- a/core/gimx.c
+++ b/core/gimx.c
@@ -620,15 +620,17 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 #ifndef WIN32
     char * file = "/tmp/gimx.status";
 #else
-    char file[MAX_PATH];
-    int ret = GetTempPath(sizeof(file), file);
-    if (ret > 0 && (unsigned int) ret < MAX_PATH - sizeof("/gimx.status"))
+    char file[MAX_PATH + 1] = {};
+    wchar_t wtmp[MAX_PATH + 1];
+    int ret = GetTempPathW(MAX_PATH, wtmp);
+    if (ret > 0)
     {
-      strcat(file, "/gimx.status");
-    }
-    else
-    {
-      file[0] = '\0';
+      char * tmp = utf16le_to_utf8(wtmp);
+      if (strlen(tmp) + sizeof("/gimx.status") <= sizeof(file))
+      {
+        sprintf(file, "%s/gimx.status", tmp);
+      }
+      free(tmp);
     }
 #endif
     if (file != NULL && file[0] != '\0')
@@ -652,9 +654,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   if(gimx_params.logfile)
   {
     fclose(gimx_params.logfile);
+#ifndef WIN32
     char file_path[PATH_MAX];
     snprintf(file_path, sizeof(file_path), "%s%s%s%s", gimx_params.homedir, GIMX_DIR, LOG_DIR, gimx_params.logfilename);
-#ifndef WIN32
     int ret = chown(file_path, getpwuid(getuid())->pw_uid, getpwuid(getuid())->pw_gid);
     if (ret < 0)
     {
diff --git a/launcher/gimx-launcher.cpp b/launcher/gimx-launcher.cpp
index 2859790d..7bd66854 100644
--- a/launcher/gimx-launcher.cpp
+++ b/launcher/gimx-launcher.cpp
@@ -1658,7 +1658,7 @@ void launcherFrame::OnProcessTerminated(wxProcess *process __attribute__((unused
             stringstream ss(line);
             ss >> status;
         }
-        remove(statusFile.mb_str(wxConvUTF8));
+        wxRemoveFile(statusFile);
     }
 
     switch(status)
@@ -1752,7 +1752,7 @@ void launcherFrame::OnProcessTerminated(wxProcess *process __attribute__((unused
         if (answer == wxYES)
         {
           wxString logfile = gimxLogDir + wxT(LOG_FILE);
-          remove(logfile.mb_str(wxConvUTF8));
+          wxRemoveFile(logfile);
           ProcessOutputChoice->SetSelection(ProcessOutputChoice->FindString(_("log file")));
           wxCommandEvent event;
           OnButtonStartClick(event);
diff --git a/shared/gimxconfigupdater/configupdater.cpp b/shared/gimxconfigupdater/configupdater.cpp
index 15e7a647..5282935c 100644
--- a/shared/gimxconfigupdater/configupdater.cpp
+++ b/shared/gimxconfigupdater/configupdater.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,19 @@ static wchar_t * utf8_to_utf16le(const char * inbuf)
     IFBUF(path) \
     std::istream name (&fb);
 
+#ifndef WIN32
+static int remove2(const char *path) {
+    return remove(path);
+}
+#else
+static int remove2(const char *path) {
+    wchar_t * wpath = utf8_to_utf16le(path);
+    int result = _wremove(wpath);
+    free(wpath);
+    return result;
+}
+#endif
+
 #ifdef WIN32
 const char * configupdater::configs_url = "https://api.github.com/repos/matlo/GIMX-configurations/contents/Windows";
 const char * configupdater::configs_download_url = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/matlo/GIMX-configurations/master/Windows/";
@@ -108,28 +121,29 @@ configupdater::ConfigUpdaterStatus configupdater::getconfiglist(std::list<std::s
     Downloader::DownloaderStatus downloadStatus = Downloader().download(configs_url, tempFile, progressCallback, this);
 
     if (downloadStatus != Downloader::DownloaderStatusOk) {
-        remove(tempFile.c_str());
         return convertDowloadStatus(downloadStatus);
     }
 
-    IFSTREAM(tempFile, infile)
-
-    while (infile.good()) {
-        std::string line;
-        std::getline(infile, line);
-        size_t pos1 = line.find("\"name\": ");
-        if (pos1 != std::string::npos) {
-            size_t pos2 = line.find("\"", pos1 + strlen("\"name\": "));
-            if (pos2 != std::string::npos) {
-                size_t pos3 = line.find(".xml\",", pos2 + 1);
-                if (pos3 != std::string::npos) {
-                    cl.push_back(line.substr(pos2 + 1, pos3 + 4 - (pos2 + 1)));
+    {
+        IFSTREAM(tempFile, infile)
+
+        while (infile.good()) {
+            std::string line;
+            std::getline(infile, line);
+            size_t pos1 = line.find("\"name\": ");
+            if (pos1 != std::string::npos) {
+                size_t pos2 = line.find("\"", pos1 + strlen("\"name\": "));
+                if (pos2 != std::string::npos) {
+                    size_t pos3 = line.find(".xml\",", pos2 + 1);
+                    if (pos3 != std::string::npos) {
+                        cl.push_back(line.substr(pos2 + 1, pos3 + 4 - (pos2 + 1)));
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
-    }
+    } // tempFile is closed at the end of this block, allowing removal
 
-    remove(tempFile.c_str());
+    remove2(tempFile.c_str());
 
     return configupdater::ConfigUpdaterStatusOk;
 }
diff --git a/shared/gimxdownloader/Downloader.cpp b/shared/gimxdownloader/Downloader.cpp
index 73783a62..9e7a841b 100644
--- a/shared/gimxdownloader/Downloader.cpp
+++ b/shared/gimxdownloader/Downloader.cpp
@@ -180,16 +180,38 @@ int Downloader::progress(double dlnow, double dltotal) {
     return m_callback(m_clientp, status, m_progress, dltotal);
 }
 
+#ifdef WIN32
+char * utf16le_to_utf8(const wchar_t * inbuf)
+{
+  char * outbuf = NULL;
+  int outsize = WideCharToMultiByte(CP_UTF8, 0, inbuf, -1, NULL, 0, NULL, NULL);
+  if (outsize != 0) {
+      outbuf = (char*) malloc(outsize * sizeof(*outbuf));
+      if (outbuf != NULL) {
+         int res = WideCharToMultiByte(CP_UTF8, 0, inbuf, -1, outbuf, outsize, NULL, NULL);
+         if (res == 0) {
+             free(outbuf);
+             outbuf = NULL;
+         }
+      }
+  }
+
+  return outbuf;
+}
+#endif
+
 std::string Downloader::generateTempFile(const std::string& file) {
 
     std::string value;
 
 #ifdef WIN32
-    char temp[MAX_PATH];
-    if (!GetTempPathA(sizeof(temp), temp)) {
+    wchar_t temp[MAX_PATH + 1];
+    if (!GetTempPathW(MAX_PATH, temp)) {
         return "";
     }
-    value.append(temp);
+    char * utf8 = utf16le_to_utf8(temp);
+    value.append(utf8);
+    free(utf8);
 #endif
 
     value += file;
@@ -201,6 +223,10 @@ std::string Downloader::generateTempFile(const std::string& file) {
 static FILE *fopen2(const char *path, const char *mode) {
     return fopen(path, mode);
 }
+
+static int remove2(const char *path) {
+    return remove(path);
+}
 #else
 static wchar_t * utf8_to_utf16le(const char * inbuf)
 {
@@ -228,6 +254,13 @@ static FILE *fopen2(const char *path, const char *mode) {
     free(wpath);
     return file;
 }
+
+static int remove2(const char *path) {
+    wchar_t * wpath = utf8_to_utf16le(path);
+    int result = _wremove(wpath);
+    free(wpath);
+    return result;
+}
 #endif
 
 Downloader::DownloaderStatus Downloader::download(const std::string& url, const std::string& file,
@@ -278,7 +311,7 @@ Downloader::DownloaderStatus Downloader::download(const std::string& url, const
     }
 
     if (status != Downloader::DownloaderStatusOk) {
-        remove(file.c_str());
+        remove2(file.c_str());
     }
 
     return status;
diff --git a/shared/gimxupdater/Updater.cpp b/shared/gimxupdater/Updater.cpp
index 5c9eaaba..565bf1d1 100644
--- a/shared/gimxupdater/Updater.cpp
+++ b/shared/gimxupdater/Updater.cpp
@@ -99,6 +99,26 @@ int progressCallback(void *clientp, Downloader::DownloaderStatus status, double
     return updater->progress(convertDowloadStatus(status), progress, total);
 }
 
+#ifdef WIN32
+static wchar_t * utf8_to_utf16le(const char * inbuf)
+{
+  wchar_t * outbuf = NULL;
+  int outsize = MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, inbuf, -1, NULL, 0);
+  if (outsize != 0) {
+      outbuf = (wchar_t*) malloc(outsize * sizeof(*outbuf));
+      if (outbuf != NULL) {
+         int res = MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, inbuf, -1, outbuf, outsize);
+         if (res == 0) {
+             free(outbuf);
+             outbuf = NULL;
+         }
+      }
+  }
+
+  return outbuf;
+}
+#endif
+
 Updater::UpdaterStatus Updater::update(std::string url, ProgressCallback callback, void *clientp, bool wait) {
 
     clientCallback = callback;
@@ -122,18 +142,21 @@ Updater::UpdaterStatus Updater::update(std::string url, ProgressCallback callbac
     UpdaterStatus status = UpdaterStatusOk;
 
 #ifdef WIN32
-    SHELLEXECUTEINFO shExInfo = SHELLEXECUTEINFO();
+    wchar_t * utf16 = utf8_to_utf16le(tempFile.c_str());
+
+    SHELLEXECUTEINFOW shExInfo = SHELLEXECUTEINFOW();
     shExInfo.cbSize = sizeof(shExInfo);
     shExInfo.fMask = wait ? (SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS | SEE_MASK_NOASYNC) : SEE_MASK_DEFAULT;
     shExInfo.hwnd = 0;
-    shExInfo.lpVerb = "runas";
-    shExInfo.lpFile = tempFile.c_str();
-    shExInfo.lpParameters = "";
+    shExInfo.lpVerb = L"runas";
+    shExInfo.lpFile = utf16;
+    shExInfo.lpParameters = L"";
     shExInfo.lpDirectory = 0;
     shExInfo.nShow = SW_SHOW;
     shExInfo.hInstApp = 0;
 
-    if (!ShellExecuteEx(&shExInfo)) {
+    if (!ShellExecuteExW(&shExInfo)) {
+        free(utf16);
         if (GetLastError() == ERROR_CANCELLED) {
             return UpdaterStatusCancelled;
         }
@@ -148,6 +171,7 @@ Updater::UpdaterStatus Updater::update(std::string url, ProgressCallback callbac
     }
 
     CloseHandle(shExInfo.hProcess);
+    free(utf16);
 #else
     (void)wait;
     std::string cmd = "";