diff --git a/pysollib/app.py b/pysollib/app.py
index 974c2f12..dc0dd33e 100644
--- a/pysollib/app.py
+++ b/pysollib/app.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ import traceback
 # PySol imports
 from mfxutil import destruct, Struct
 from mfxutil import pickle, unpickle, UnpicklingError
-from mfxutil import getusername, gethomedir, getprefdir
+from mfxutil import getusername, getprefdir
 from mfxutil import latin1_to_ascii, print_err
 from util import CARDSET, IMAGE_EXTENSIONS
 from settings import PACKAGE, VERSION_TUPLE, WIN_SYSTEM
@@ -372,10 +372,8 @@ class Application:
             progress = None,            # progress bar
         )
         # directory names
-        home = os.path.normpath(gethomedir())
-        config = os.path.normpath(getprefdir(PACKAGE, home))
+        config = os.path.normpath(getprefdir(PACKAGE))
         self.dn = Struct(
-            home = home,
             config = config,
             plugins = os.path.join(config, "plugins"),
             savegames = os.path.join(config, "savegames"),
@@ -780,6 +778,7 @@ class Application:
 
     def _getImagesDir(self, *dirs, **kwargs):
         check = kwargs.get('check', True)
+        dirs = [str(d) for d in dirs]   # XXX: don't use unicode
         d =  os.path.join(self.dataloader.dir, 'images', *dirs)
         if check:
             if os.path.exists(d):
@@ -1445,9 +1444,8 @@ Please select a %s type %s.
     def initTiles(self):
         manager = self.tabletile_manager
         # find all available tiles
-        # Note: we use a unicoded filenames
         dirs = manager.getSearchDirs(self,
-                           (u"tiles-*", os.path.join(u"tiles", u"stretch")),
+                           ("tiles-*", os.path.join("tiles", "stretch")),
                            "PYSOL_TILES")
         ##print dirs
         s = "((\\" + ")|(\\".join(IMAGE_EXTENSIONS) + "))$"
@@ -1461,11 +1459,6 @@ Please select a %s type %s.
                 for name in names:
                     if not name or not ext_re.search(name):
                         continue
-                    if not isinstance(name, unicode):
-                        try:
-                            name = unicode(name)
-                        except:
-                            continue
                     f = os.path.join(dir, name)
                     if not os.path.isfile(f):
                         continue
diff --git a/pysollib/mfxutil.py b/pysollib/mfxutil.py
index 235d81bc..9ada5a26 100644
--- a/pysollib/mfxutil.py
+++ b/pysollib/mfxutil.py
@@ -125,20 +125,12 @@ def getusername():
     return user
 
 
-def gethomedir():
+def getprefdir(package):
     if os.name == "nt":
-        return win32_gethomedir()
+        return win32_getprefdir(package)
     home = os.environ.get("HOME", "").strip()
     if not home or not os.path.isdir(home):
         home = os.curdir
-    return os.path.abspath(home)
-
-
-def getprefdir(package, home=None):
-    if os.name == "nt":
-        return win32_getprefdir(package)
-    if home is None:
-        home = gethomedir()
     return os.path.join(home, ".PySolFC")
 
 
@@ -157,20 +149,16 @@ def win32_getusername():
     return user
 
 def win32_getprefdir(package):
-    hd = win32_gethomedir()
-    return os.path.join(hd, 'PySolFC')
-
-def win32_gethomedir():
     # %USERPROFILE%, %APPDATA%
     hd = os.environ.get('APPDATA')
-    if hd:
-        return hd
-    hd = os.path.expanduser('~')
-    if hd == '~': # win9x
-        hd = os.path.abspath('/windows/Application Data')
-        if not os.path.exists(hd):
-            hd = os.path.abspath('/')
-    return hd
+    if not hd:
+        hd = os.path.expanduser('~')
+        if hd == '~': # win9x
+            hd = os.path.abspath('/windows/Application Data')
+            if not os.path.exists(hd):
+                hd = os.path.abspath('/')
+    return os.path.join(hd, 'PySolFC')
+
 
 # /***********************************************************************
 # // memory util
diff --git a/pysollib/resource.py b/pysollib/resource.py
index e067209e..d739c557 100644
--- a/pysollib/resource.py
+++ b/pysollib/resource.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 
 
 # imports
-import os, glob
+import os, glob, traceback
 
 # PySol imports
 from mfxutil import Struct, KwStruct
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ class ResourceManager:
                     else:
                         self._addDir(result, os.path.join(dir, s))
                 except EnvironmentError, ex:
+                    traceback.print_exc()
                     pass
         if DEBUG >= 6:
             print "getSearchDirs", env, search, "->", result
diff --git a/pysollib/tile/menubar.py b/pysollib/tile/menubar.py
index 5dfaa7c2..d1bfa337 100644
--- a/pysollib/tile/menubar.py
+++ b/pysollib/tile/menubar.py
@@ -756,7 +756,7 @@ class PysolMenubarTk:
                                    self.mSelectGame, self.tkopt.gameid)
 
     def _addSelectCustomGameSubMenu(self, games, menu, command, variable):
-        submenu = MfxMenu(menu, label=n_("&Cusom games"))
+        submenu = MfxMenu(menu, label=n_("&Custom games"))
         select_func = lambda gi: gi.si.game_type == GI.GT_CUSTOM
         games = filter(select_func, games)
         self.updateGamesMenu(submenu, games)
diff --git a/pysollib/tk/menubar.py b/pysollib/tk/menubar.py
index a7467e30..3ef730b1 100644
--- a/pysollib/tk/menubar.py
+++ b/pysollib/tk/menubar.py
@@ -760,7 +760,7 @@ class PysolMenubarTk:
                                    self.mSelectGame, self.tkopt.gameid)
 
     def _addSelectCustomGameSubMenu(self, games, menu, command, variable):
-        submenu = MfxMenu(menu, label=n_("&Cusom games"))
+        submenu = MfxMenu(menu, label=n_("&Custom games"))
         select_func = lambda gi: gi.si.game_type == GI.GT_CUSTOM
         games = filter(select_func, games)
         self.updateGamesMenu(submenu, games)
diff --git a/scripts/build.bat b/scripts/build.bat
index f44b92db..2e53ee4a 100755
--- a/scripts/build.bat
+++ b/scripts/build.bat
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ rm -rf dist
 mkdir dist
 cp -r locale dist
 cp -r freecell-solver dist
-cp smpeg.dll ogg.dll vorbis.dll vorbisfile.dll dist
 python setup.py py2exe
 cp -r d:\Python\tcl\tile0.7.8 dist\tcl
 cp -r data\music dist\data