diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Attachment.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Attachment.pm
index a878b86b7..5484e6f74 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Attachment.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Attachment.pm
@@ -307,9 +307,7 @@ sub getIcon {
 =cut
 
 sub getPath {
-	my ($slash);
-	$slash = ($^O =~ /Win/i) ? "\\" : "/";
-        return $_[0]->{_node}->getPath.$slash.$_[0]->getFilename;
+        return $_[0]->{_node}->getPath.$session{os}{slash}.$_[0]->getFilename;
 }
 
 
@@ -322,9 +320,8 @@ sub getPath {
 =cut
 
 sub getSize {
-	my ($size, $slash);
-	$slash = ($^O =~ /Win/i) ? "\\" : "/";
-	my (@attributes) = stat($_[0]->{_node}->getPath.$slash.$_[0]->getFilename);
+	my ($size);
+	my (@attributes) = stat($_[0]->{_node}->getPath.$session{os}{slash}.$_[0]->getFilename);
 	if ($attributes[7] > 1048576) {
 		$size = round($attributes[7]/1048576);
 		$size .= 'mb';
@@ -350,12 +347,10 @@ sub getSize {
 =cut
 
 sub getThumbnail {
-	my ($slash);
-	$slash = ($^O =~ /Win/i) ? "\\" : "/";
 	if ($hasImageMagick && isIn($_[0]->getType, qw(jpg jpeg gif png))) {
-        	return $_[0]->{_node}->getURL.$slash.'thumb-'.$_[0]->getFilename;
+        	return $_[0]->{_node}->getURL.'/thumb-'.$_[0]->getFilename;
 	} elsif ($hasImageMagick && isIn($_[0]->getType, qw(tif tiff bmp))) {
-        	return $_[0]->{_node}->getURL.$slash.'thumb-'.$_[0]->getFilename.'.png';
+        	return $_[0]->{_node}->getURL.'/thumb-'.$_[0]->getFilename.'.png';
 	} else {
 		return "";
 	}
@@ -446,9 +441,7 @@ sub new {
 =cut
 
 sub rename {
-	my ($slash);
-	$slash = ($^O =~ /Win/i) ? "\\" : "/";
-	rename $_[0]->getPath, $_[0]->{_node}->getPath.$slash.$_[1];
+	rename $_[0]->getPath, $_[0]->{_node}->getPath.$session{os}{slash}.$_[1];
 	$_[0]->{_filename} = $_[1];
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Session.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Session.pm
index 8cbc35199..45131f763 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Session.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Session.pm
@@ -122,9 +122,8 @@ sub _setupUserInfo {
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 sub _loadAuthentication {
 	my ($dir, @files, $slash, $file, $cmd, $namespace, $exclude, @availableModules);
-	$slash = ($^O =~ /Win/i) ? "\\" : "/";
-	$dir = $slash."lib".$slash."WebGUI".$slash."Authentication";
-	opendir (DIR,$session{config}{webguiRoot}.$dir) or WebGUI::ErrorHandler::fatalError("Can't open Authentication module directory!");
+	$dir = $session{config}{webguiRoot}.$session{os}{slash}."lib".$session{os}{slash}."WebGUI".$session{os}{slash}."Authentication";
+	opendir (DIR,$dir) or WebGUI::ErrorHandler::fatalError("Can't open Authentication module directory!");
 	@files = readdir(DIR);
 	foreach $file (@files) {
 		if ($file =~ /(.*?)\.pm$/) {
@@ -150,10 +149,9 @@ sub _loadAuthentication {
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 sub _loadMacros {
-	my ($slash, $namespace, $cmd, @files, $file, $dir, $exclude);
-	$slash = ($^O =~ /Win/i) ? "\\" : "/";
-	$dir = $slash."lib".$slash."WebGUI".$slash."Macro";
-	opendir (DIR,$session{config}{webguiRoot}.$dir) or WebGUI::ErrorHandler::fatalError("Can't open macro directory!");
+	my ($namespace, $cmd, @files, $file, $dir, $exclude);
+	$dir = $session{config}{webguiRoot}.$session{os}{slash}."lib".$session{os}{slash}."WebGUI".$session{os}{slash}."Authentication";
+	opendir (DIR,$dir) or WebGUI::ErrorHandler::fatalError("Can't open macro directory!");
 	@files = readdir(DIR);
 	foreach $file (@files) {
 		if ($file =~ /(.*?)\.pm$/) {
@@ -173,10 +171,9 @@ sub _loadMacros {
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 sub _loadWobjects {
-	my ($dir, @files, $slash, $file, $cmd, $namespace, $exclude);
-	$slash = ($^O =~ /Win/i) ? "\\" : "/";
-	$dir = $slash."lib".$slash."WebGUI".$slash."Wobject";
-	opendir (DIR,$session{config}{webguiRoot}.$dir) or WebGUI::ErrorHandler::fatalError("Can't open wobject directory!");
+	my ($dir, @files, $file, $cmd, $namespace, $exclude);
+	$dir = $session{config}{webguiRoot}.$session{os}{slash}."lib".$session{os}{slash}."WebGUI".$session{os}{slash}."Authentication";
+	opendir (DIR,$dir) or WebGUI::ErrorHandler::fatalError("Can't open wobject directory!");
 	@files = readdir(DIR);
 	foreach $file (@files) {
 		if ($file =~ /(.*?)\.pm$/) {
@@ -246,6 +243,16 @@ sub httpRedirect {
 sub open {
 	my ($key, $config);
 	###----------------------------
+	### operating system specific things
+	$session{os}{name} = $^O;
+	if ($session{os}{name} =~ /^Win/i) {
+		$session{os}{type} = "Windowsish";
+		$session{os}{slash} = "\\";
+	} else {
+		$session{os}{type} = "Linuxish";
+		$session{os}{slash} = "/";
+	}
+	###----------------------------
 	### config variables
 	$session{config}{webguiRoot} = $_[0];
 	$session{config}{configFile} = $_[1] || "WebGUI.conf";
diff --git a/sbin/testEnvironment.pl b/sbin/testEnvironment.pl
index 0e5b5cd9d..87a5d489d 100644
--- a/sbin/testEnvironment.pl
+++ b/sbin/testEnvironment.pl
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ print "\nWebGUI is checking your system environment:\n\n";
 my ($os, $prereq, $dbi, $dbDrivers);
 $prereq = 1;
 
-if ($^O =~ /Win/i) {
-	$os = "Microsoftish";
+if ($^O =~ /^Win/i) {
+	$os = "Windowsish";
 } else {
 	$os = "Linuxish";
 }