diff --git a/src/folder.c b/src/folder.c
index d769ae760..a3c9a7303 100644
--- a/src/folder.c
+++ b/src/folder.c
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ static int get_exec_path (char *exec_path, const size_t exec_path_sz)
 
   #elif defined (_WIN)
 
-  const DWORD len = GetModuleFileName (NULL, exec_path, exec_path_sz - 1);
+  memset (exec_path, 0, exec_path_sz);
 
-  if (len == 0) return -1;
+  const int len = 0;
 
   #elif defined (__APPLE__)
 
@@ -407,16 +407,9 @@ int folder_config_init (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, MAYBE_UNUSED const char *ins
 
   hc_asprintf (&cpath, "%s\\OpenCL\\", shared_dir);
 
-  char *cpath_real = (char *) hcmalloc (HCBUFSIZ_TINY);
+  char *cpath_real;
 
-  if (GetFullPathName (cpath, HCBUFSIZ_TINY - 1, cpath_real, NULL) == 0)
-  {
-    event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: %s", cpath, "GetFullPathName().");
-
-    hcfree (cwd);
-
-    return -1;
-  }
+  hc_asprintf (&cpath_real, "%s\\OpenCL\\", shared_dir);
 
   #else
 
diff --git a/src/opencl.c b/src/opencl.c
index 79aa1b8c5..97e32193a 100644
--- a/src/opencl.c
+++ b/src/opencl.c
@@ -4256,6 +4256,24 @@ int opencl_session_begin (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx)
       }
     }
 
+    // return back to the folder we came from initially (workaround)
+
+    #if defined (_WIN)
+    if (chdir ("..") == -1)
+    {
+      event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: %s", "..", strerror (errno));
+
+      return -1;
+    }
+    #else
+    if (chdir (folder_config->cwd) == -1)
+    {
+      event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: %s", folder_config->cwd, strerror (errno));
+
+      return -1;
+    }
+    #endif
+
     // we don't have sm_* on vendors not NV but it doesn't matter
 
     char build_opts_new[1024] = { 0 };
@@ -4798,15 +4816,6 @@ int opencl_session_begin (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx)
     hcfree (device_name_chksum);
     hcfree (device_name_chksum_amp_mp);
 
-    // return back to the folder we came from initially (workaround)
-
-    if (chdir (folder_config->cwd) == -1)
-    {
-      event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: %s", folder_config->cwd, strerror (errno));
-
-      return -1;
-    }
-
     // some algorithm collide too fast, make that impossible
 
     if (user_options->benchmark == true)
diff --git a/src/user_options.c b/src/user_options.c
index 5116dec44..f0649e361 100644
--- a/src/user_options.c
+++ b/src/user_options.c
@@ -1670,12 +1670,21 @@ int user_options_check_files (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx)
 
   // common folders
 
+  #if defined (_WIN)
+  if (hc_path_read (".") == false)
+  {
+    event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: %s", ".", strerror (errno));
+
+    return -1;
+  }
+  #else
   if (hc_path_read (folder_config->cwd) == false)
   {
     event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: %s", folder_config->cwd, strerror (errno));
 
     return -1;
   }
+  #endif
 
   if (hc_path_read (folder_config->install_dir) == false)
   {