diff --git a/src/Files/Files.cpp b/src/Files/Files.cpp
index 508ba30..301431e 100644
--- a/src/Files/Files.cpp
+++ b/src/Files/Files.cpp
@@ -112,7 +112,9 @@ OSErr FSMakeFSSpec(short vRefNum, long dirID, const char* cstrFileName, FSSpec*
 	if (!IsVolumeLegal(vRefNum))
 		return nsvErr;
 
-	return volumes.at(vRefNum)->FSMakeFSSpec(dirID, cstrFileName, spec);
+	u8string fileName((const char8_t*)cstrFileName);
+
+	return volumes.at(vRefNum)->FSMakeFSSpec(dirID, fileName, spec);
 }
 
 static OSErr OpenFork(const FSSpec* spec, ForkType forkType, char permission, short* refNum)
@@ -165,7 +167,7 @@ OSErr FindFolder(short vRefNum, OSType folderType, Boolean createFolder, short*
 		throw std::runtime_error("FindFolder only supports kOnSystemDisk");
 	}
 
-	fs::path path;
+	fs::path path = "";
 
 	switch (folderType)
 	{
@@ -175,7 +177,8 @@ OSErr FindFolder(short vRefNum, OSType folderType, Boolean createFolder, short*
 		path = Pomme::Platform::Windows::GetPreferencesFolder();
 #elif defined(__APPLE__)
 		const char *home = getenv("HOME");
-		if (!home) {
+		if (!home)
+		{
 			return fnfErr;
 		}
 		path = fs::path(home) / "Library" / "Preferences";
@@ -203,6 +206,11 @@ OSErr FindFolder(short vRefNum, OSType folderType, Boolean createFolder, short*
 		return fnfErr;
 	}
 
+	if (path.empty())
+	{
+		return fnfErr;
+	}
+
 	path = path.lexically_normal();
 
 	bool exists = fs::exists(path);
@@ -223,9 +231,15 @@ OSErr FindFolder(short vRefNum, OSType folderType, Boolean createFolder, short*
 
 OSErr DirCreate(short vRefNum, long parentDirID, const char* cstrDirectoryName, long* createdDirID)
 {
-	return IsVolumeLegal(vRefNum)
-		? volumes.at(vRefNum)->DirCreate(parentDirID, cstrDirectoryName, createdDirID)
-		: (OSErr)nsvErr;
+	if (!IsVolumeLegal(vRefNum))
+	{
+		return (OSErr)nsvErr;
+	}
+
+	u8string directoryName((const char8_t*)cstrDirectoryName);
+
+	const auto& volume = volumes.at(vRefNum);
+	return volume->DirCreate(parentDirID, directoryName, createdDirID);
 }
 
 OSErr FSpCreate(const FSSpec* spec, OSType creator, OSType fileType, ScriptCode scriptTag)
diff --git a/src/Files/HostVolume.cpp b/src/Files/HostVolume.cpp
index dc25cc9..7b3845f 100644
--- a/src/Files/HostVolume.cpp
+++ b/src/Files/HostVolume.cpp
@@ -68,9 +68,15 @@ long HostVolume::GetDirectoryID(const fs::path& dirPath)
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Internal utilities
 
-fs::path HostVolume::ToPath(long parID, const std::string& name)
+fs::path HostVolume::ToPath(long parID, const char* name)
 {
-	fs::path path = directories.at(parID) / AsU8(name);
+	return ToPath(parID, u8string((const char8_t*)name));
+}
+
+fs::path HostVolume::ToPath(long parID, const u8string& name)
+{
+	fs::path path = directories.at(parID);
+	path /= name;
 	return path.lexically_normal();
 }
 
@@ -161,12 +167,9 @@ OSErr HostVolume::OpenFork(const FSSpec* spec, ForkType forkType, char permissio
 	return noErr;
 }
 
-static bool CaseInsensitiveAppendToPath(
-	fs::path& path,
-	const std::string& element,
-	bool skipFiles = false)
+static bool CaseInsensitiveAppendToPath(fs::path& path, const u8string& element, bool skipFiles = false)
 {
-	fs::path naiveConcat = path / AsU8(element);
+	fs::path naiveConcat = path / element;
 
 	if (!fs::exists(path))
 	{
@@ -199,11 +202,7 @@ static bool CaseInsensitiveAppendToPath(
 		}
 
 		// Convert candidate filename to uppercase for case-insensitive comparison
-#if LEGACY_FILESYSTEM_IMPLEMENTATION  // ghc::path::u8string returns an std::string
-		const std::string uppercaseCandidateFilename = UppercaseCopy(candidateFilename.u8string());
-#else // C++20
-		const std::string uppercaseCandidateFilename = UppercaseCopy(FromU8(candidateFilename.u8string()));
-#endif
+		const u8string uppercaseCandidateFilename = UppercaseCopy(candidateFilename.u8string());
 
 		if (uppercaseElement == uppercaseCandidateFilename)
 		{
@@ -219,7 +218,7 @@ static bool CaseInsensitiveAppendToPath(
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Implementation
 
-OSErr HostVolume::FSMakeFSSpec(long dirID, const std::string& fileName, FSSpec* spec)
+OSErr HostVolume::FSMakeFSSpec(long dirID, const u8string& fileName, FSSpec* spec)
 {
 	if (dirID < 0 || (unsigned long) dirID >= directories.size())
 	{
@@ -231,12 +230,12 @@ OSErr HostVolume::FSMakeFSSpec(long dirID, const std::string& fileName, FSSpec*
 
 	// Case-insensitive sanitization
 	bool exists = fs::exists(path);
-	std::string::size_type begin = (suffix.at(0) == ':') ? 1 : 0;
+	u8string::size_type begin = (suffix.at(0) == ':') ? 1 : 0;
 
 	// Iterate on path elements between colons
 	while (begin < suffix.length())
 	{
-		auto end = suffix.find(":", begin);
+		auto end = suffix.find(':', begin);
 
 		bool isLeaf = end == std::string::npos; // no ':' found => end of path
 		if (isLeaf) end = suffix.length();
@@ -264,7 +263,7 @@ OSErr HostVolume::FSMakeFSSpec(long dirID, const std::string& fileName, FSSpec*
 	return exists ? noErr : fnfErr;
 }
 
-OSErr HostVolume::DirCreate(long parentDirID, const std::string& directoryName, long* createdDirID)
+OSErr HostVolume::DirCreate(long parentDirID, const u8string& directoryName, long* createdDirID)
 {
 	const auto path = ToPath(parentDirID, directoryName);
 
diff --git a/src/Files/HostVolume.h b/src/Files/HostVolume.h
index 74cf83c..a1aebba 100644
--- a/src/Files/HostVolume.h
+++ b/src/Files/HostVolume.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "Files/Volume.h"
 #include "CompilerSupport/filesystem.h"
+#include "Utilities/StringUtils.h"
 #include <vector>
 
 namespace Pomme::Files
@@ -14,7 +15,8 @@ namespace Pomme::Files
 	{
 		std::vector<fs::path> directories;
 
-		fs::path ToPath(long parID, const std::string& name);
+		fs::path ToPath(long parID, const char* name);
+		fs::path ToPath(long parID, const u8string& name);
 
 	public:
 		explicit HostVolume(short vRefNum);
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ namespace Pomme::Files
 		//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 		// Toolbox API Implementation
 
-		OSErr FSMakeFSSpec(long dirID, const std::string& fileName, FSSpec* spec) override;
+		OSErr FSMakeFSSpec(long dirID, const u8string& fileName, FSSpec* spec) override;
 
 		OSErr OpenFork(const FSSpec* spec, ForkType forkType, char permission, std::unique_ptr<ForkHandle>& stream) override;
 
@@ -39,6 +41,6 @@ namespace Pomme::Files
 
 		OSErr FSpDelete(const FSSpec* spec) override;
 
-		OSErr DirCreate(long parentDirID, const std::string& directoryName, long* createdDirID) override;
+		OSErr DirCreate(long parentDirID, const u8string& directoryName, long* createdDirID) override;
 	};
 }
diff --git a/src/Files/Volume.h b/src/Files/Volume.h
index a70007f..4f9c786 100644
--- a/src/Files/Volume.h
+++ b/src/Files/Volume.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <memory>
+#include "Utilities/StringUtils.h"
 
 namespace Pomme::Files
 {
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ namespace Pomme::Files
 		//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 		// Toolbox API Implementation
 
-		virtual OSErr FSMakeFSSpec(long dirID, const std::string& suffix, FSSpec* spec) = 0;
+		virtual OSErr FSMakeFSSpec(long dirID, const u8string& suffix, FSSpec* spec) = 0;
 
 		virtual OSErr OpenFork(const FSSpec* spec, ForkType forkType, char permission, std::unique_ptr<ForkHandle>& handle) = 0;
 
@@ -56,6 +57,6 @@ namespace Pomme::Files
 
 		virtual OSErr FSpDelete(const FSSpec* spec) = 0;
 
-		virtual OSErr DirCreate(long parentDirID, const std::string& directoryName, long* createdDirID) = 0;
+		virtual OSErr DirCreate(long parentDirID, const u8string& directoryName, long* createdDirID) = 0;
 	};
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Platform/Windows/PommeWindows.cpp b/src/Platform/Windows/PommeWindows.cpp
index 3d5607f..159beb1 100644
--- a/src/Platform/Windows/PommeWindows.cpp
+++ b/src/Platform/Windows/PommeWindows.cpp
@@ -1,14 +1,22 @@
 #undef NOUSER
 
+#include "PommeDebug.h"
 #include "Platform/Windows/PommeWindows.h"
 
 #include <shlobj.h>
 
 std::filesystem::path Pomme::Platform::Windows::GetPreferencesFolder()
 {
-	wchar_t* wpath = nullptr;
-	SHGetKnownFolderPath(FOLDERID_RoamingAppData, 0, nullptr, &wpath);
-	auto path = std::filesystem::path(wpath);
+	PWSTR wpath = nullptr;
+	HRESULT result = SHGetKnownFolderPath(FOLDERID_RoamingAppData, 0, nullptr, &wpath);
+
+	std::filesystem::path path = "";
+
+	if (result == S_OK)
+	{
+		path = std::filesystem::path(wpath);
+	}
+
 	CoTaskMemFree(static_cast<void*>(wpath));
 	return path;
 }
diff --git a/src/SoundFormats/SoundFormats.cpp b/src/SoundFormats/SoundFormats.cpp
index a629657..fd0c542 100644
--- a/src/SoundFormats/SoundFormats.cpp
+++ b/src/SoundFormats/SoundFormats.cpp
@@ -268,8 +268,9 @@ SndListHandle Pomme_SndLoadFileAsResource(short fRefNum)
 	auto& spec = Pomme::Files::GetSpec(fRefNum);
 	auto& stream = Pomme::Files::GetStream(fRefNum);
 
-	std::string fileName = UppercaseCopy(spec.cName);
-	fs::path extension = fs::path(AsU8(fileName)).extension();
+	u8string fileName((const char8_t*) spec.cName);
+	fileName = UppercaseCopy(fileName);
+	fs::path extension = fs::path(fileName).extension();
 
 	// Guess media container from extension
 	if (extension == ".AIFF"
diff --git a/src/Utilities/StringUtils.cpp b/src/Utilities/StringUtils.cpp
index d3421b9..c3bc467 100644
--- a/src/Utilities/StringUtils.cpp
+++ b/src/Utilities/StringUtils.cpp
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <iterator>
 
-std::string UppercaseCopy(const std::string& in)
+std::u8string UppercaseCopy(const u8string& in)
 {
-	std::string out;
+	std::u8string out;
 	std::transform(
 		in.begin(),
 		in.end(),
@@ -16,13 +16,3 @@ std::string UppercaseCopy(const std::string& in)
 		});
 	return out;
 }
-
-u8string AsU8(const std::string s)
-{
-	return u8string(s.begin(), s.end());
-}
-
-std::string FromU8(const u8string u8s)
-{
-	return std::string(u8s.begin(), u8s.end());
-}
diff --git a/src/Utilities/StringUtils.h b/src/Utilities/StringUtils.h
index 624e145..b42b1ca 100644
--- a/src/Utilities/StringUtils.h
+++ b/src/Utilities/StringUtils.h
@@ -6,10 +6,7 @@
     typedef std::u8string u8string;
 #else
     typedef std::string u8string;
+	typedef char char8_t;
 #endif
 
-std::string UppercaseCopy(const std::string&);
-
-u8string AsU8(const std::string);
-
-std::string FromU8(const u8string);
+u8string UppercaseCopy(const u8string&);