diff --git a/src/E2wxApp.cpp b/src/E2wxApp.cpp
index 06a30d6..9284caa 100644
--- a/src/E2wxApp.cpp
+++ b/src/E2wxApp.cpp
@@ -93,19 +93,19 @@ E2wxApp::~E2wxApp() {
 
 
 static std::filesystem::path dirCache() {
-    return std::filesystem::path(wxStandardPaths::Get().GetUserDir(wxStandardPaths::Dir_Cache).t_str());
+    return std::filesystem::path(wxStandardPaths::Get().GetUserDir(wxStandardPaths::Dir_Cache).fn_str().data());
 }
 
 static std::filesystem::path dirConfig() {
-    return std::filesystem::path(wxStandardPaths::Get().GetUserConfigDir().t_str());
+    return std::filesystem::path(wxStandardPaths::Get().GetUserConfigDir().fn_str().data());
 }
 
 static std::filesystem::path dirDocuments() {
-    return std::filesystem::path(wxStandardPaths::Get().GetAppDocumentsDir().t_str());
+    return std::filesystem::path(wxStandardPaths::Get().GetAppDocumentsDir().fn_str().data());
 }
 
 static std::filesystem::path dirResources() {
-    return std::filesystem::path(wxStandardPaths::Get().GetResourcesDir().t_str());
+    return std::filesystem::path(wxStandardPaths::Get().GetResourcesDir().fn_str().data());
 }
 
 
@@ -137,18 +137,18 @@ bool E2wxApp::OnInit() {
 
 
 
-    this->confdir = dirConfig() / std::filesystem::path((GetID()+wxT(".d")).t_str());
+    this->confdir = dirConfig() / std::filesystem::path((GetID()+wxT(".d")).fn_str().data());
     std::filesystem::create_directories(this->confdir);
     BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(info) << "Configuration directory path: " << this->confdir;
 
-    this->conffile = dirConfig() / std::filesystem::path(GetID().t_str());
+    this->conffile = dirConfig() / std::filesystem::path(GetID().fn_str().data());
     BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(info) << "Configuration      file path: " << this->conffile;
     wxConfigBase::Set(new wxFileConfig("", "", GetID()));
 
-    this->docsdir = dirDocuments() / std::filesystem::path(GetID().t_str());
+    this->docsdir = dirDocuments() / std::filesystem::path(GetID().fn_str().data());
     BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(info) << "User document directory path: " << this->docsdir;
 
-    const std::filesystem::path exe = std::filesystem::path(stdpaths.GetExecutablePath().t_str());
+    const std::filesystem::path exe = std::filesystem::path(stdpaths.GetExecutablePath().fn_str().data());
     std::cout << "Executable         file path: " << exe << std::endl;
     std::filesystem::path res = exe.parent_path();
     if (res.filename() == "bin" || res.filename() == "MacOS") {
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ bool E2wxApp::OnInit() {
         res /= "Resources";
     }
     this->resdir = res;
-    std::cout << "Resource      directory path: " << this->resdir << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "Resource      directory path: " << this->resdir.c_str() << std::endl;
 
     wxXmlResource::Get()->InitAllHandlers();
     if (!wxXmlResource::Get()->LoadAllFiles(this->resdir.c_str())) {
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ bool E2wxApp::OnInit() {
 
 
     this->emu = new Emulator();
-    Config cfg((const std::string)this->arg_configfile.c_str());
+    Config cfg(this->arg_configfile);
     this->emu->config(cfg);
     this->emu->init();
     this->emu_timer = new EmuTimer(this->emu);
@@ -235,8 +235,8 @@ bool E2wxApp::OnCmdLineParsed(wxCmdLineParser& parser) {
     if (n <= 0) {
         std::cout << "no config file specified on the command line; will use config file specified in user-preferences" << std::endl;
     } else {
-        this->arg_configfile = parser.GetParam(0);
-        std::cout << "using config file specified on the command line: " << this->arg_configfile << std::endl;
+        this->arg_configfile = std::filesystem::path(parser.GetParam(0).fn_str().data());
+        std::cout << "using config file specified on the command line: " << this->arg_configfile.c_str() << std::endl;
     }
 
     return true;
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ const std::filesystem::path E2wxApp::GetDocumentsDir() const {
 const std::filesystem::path E2wxApp::BuildLogFilePath() const {
     std::filesystem::path logfile =
         dirCache() /
-        std::filesystem::path(GetID().t_str()) /
+        std::filesystem::path(GetID().fn_str().data()) /
         std::filesystem::path(wxT("log"));
 
     std::filesystem::create_directories(logfile);
diff --git a/src/E2wxApp.h b/src/E2wxApp.h
index 9d7bc23..825f653 100644
--- a/src/E2wxApp.h
+++ b/src/E2wxApp.h
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class E2wxApp : public wxApp {
     std::filesystem::path conffile;
     std::filesystem::path confdir;
     std::filesystem::path docsdir;
-    wxString arg_configfile;
+    std::filesystem::path arg_configfile;
     EmuTimer *emu_timer;
     Emulator *emu;
 
diff --git a/src/PreferencesDialog.cpp b/src/PreferencesDialog.cpp
index 2d61008..4ec51bd 100644
--- a/src/PreferencesDialog.cpp
+++ b/src/PreferencesDialog.cpp
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ public:
     wxDirTraverseResult OnFile(const wxString& filename) {
         wxFileName n = wxFileName::FileName(filename);
         if (n.GetExt() == "conf") {
-            const std::filesystem::path& full = std::filesystem::path(n.GetFullName().t_str());
+            const std::filesystem::path& full = std::filesystem::path(n.GetFullName().fn_str().data());
             const std::filesystem::path path = m_dir / full;
             m_tree->AppendItem(m_parent, n.GetName(), -1, -1, new TreeItemData(path, m_editable));
         }
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ const std::filesystem::path BuildNewConfFilePath() {
 
     wxString ts = to_iso_string(boost::posix_time::microsec_clock::universal_time());
     ts.Replace(wxT("."), wxT("_"));
-    f /= (wxT("Untitled_") + ts + wxT(".conf")).t_str();
+    f /= (wxT("Untitled_") + ts + wxT(".conf")).fn_str().data();
 
     BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(info) << "will create file: " << f.c_str();
 
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ void PreferencesDialog::OnRename(wxCommandEvent& evt) {
                 if (fn.Exists()) {
                     wxMessageBox(wxT("That name is already being used."), wxT("File exists"), wxOK|wxCENTER, this);
                 } else {
-                    const std::filesystem::path newpath(fn.GetFullPath().t_str());
+                    const std::filesystem::path newpath(fn.GetFullPath().fn_str().data());
                     std::filesystem::rename(data->path(), newpath);
                     BuildItemTree();
                     PreSelectUserConfigItemName(newpath);
diff --git a/src/configep2.cpp b/src/configep2.cpp
index 5e43114..496b673 100644
--- a/src/configep2.cpp
+++ b/src/configep2.cpp
@@ -63,12 +63,11 @@ static std::uint16_t memory_block_size(const std::string &block_size) {
 
 unsigned char Config::disk_mask(0);
 
-Config::Config(const std::string& file_path):
-    file_path(file_path)
+Config::Config(const std::filesystem::path& f):
+    file_path(f)
 {
 }
 
-
 Config::~Config()
 {
 }
@@ -104,7 +103,7 @@ void Config::parse(MemoryRandomAccess& ram, Memory& rom, Slots& slts, int& revis
 {
     std::ifstream* pConfig;
 
-    std::string path(this->file_path);
+    std::filesystem::path path(this->file_path);
 
     if (!path.empty())
     {
@@ -128,18 +127,13 @@ void Config::parse(MemoryRandomAccess& ram, Memory& rom, Slots& slts, int& revis
             // TODO what to do when no config?
             user_config = wxT("epple2");
         }
+        user_config += ".conf";
 
-        std::filesystem::path f = wxGetApp().GetConfigDir();
-        f /= user_config.t_str();
-        f += ".conf";
-        path = f.string();
+        path = wxGetApp().GetConfigDir() / user_config.fn_str().data();
         std::cout << "looking for config file: " << path << std::endl;
         pConfig = new std::ifstream(path.c_str());
         if (!pConfig->is_open()) {
-            f = wxGetApp().GetResDir();
-            f /= user_config.t_str();
-            f += ".conf";
-            path = f.string();
+            path = wxGetApp().GetResDir() / user_config.fn_str().data();
             std::cout << "looking for config file: " << path << std::endl;
             pConfig = new std::ifstream(path.c_str());
             if (!pConfig->is_open()) {
@@ -237,6 +231,7 @@ void Config::parse(MemoryRandomAccess& ram, Memory& rom, Slots& slts, int& revis
 
     // TODO: make sure there is no more than ONE stdin and/or ONE stdout card
 }
+
 void Config::parseLine(const std::string& line, MemoryRandomAccess& ram, Memory& rom, Slots& slts, int& revision, ScreenImage& gui, CassetteIn& cassetteIn, CassetteOut& cassetteOut, Apple2* apple2)
 {
     try
diff --git a/src/configep2.h b/src/configep2.h
index 2e745e1..9c3f6e7 100644
--- a/src/configep2.h
+++ b/src/configep2.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #ifndef CONFIGEP2_H
 #define CONFIGEP2_H
 
+#include <filesystem>
 #include <string>
 class Memory;
 class MemoryRandomAccess;
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ public:
 
 class Config {
 private:
-    const std::string& file_path;
+    const std::filesystem::path file_path;
     static unsigned char disk_mask;
 
     static void loadDisk(Slots& slts, int slot, int drive, const std::string& fnib);
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ private:
     static void tryParseLine(const std::string& line, MemoryRandomAccess& ram, Memory& rom, Slots& slts, int& revision, ScreenImage& gui, CassetteIn& cassetteIn, CassetteOut& cassetteOut, Apple2* apple2);
 
 public:
-    Config(const std::string& file_path);
+    Config(const std::filesystem::path& f);
     ~Config();
 
     void parse(MemoryRandomAccess& ram, Memory& rom, Slots& slts, int& revision, ScreenImage& gui, CassetteIn& cassetteIn, CassetteOut& cassetteOut, Apple2* apple2);