diff --git a/crash_printer/tests/test_helper.hpp b/crash_printer/tests/test_helper.hpp
index c17eac49..cdedb9d5 100644
--- a/crash_printer/tests/test_helper.hpp
+++ b/crash_printer/tests/test_helper.hpp
@@ -7,15 +7,16 @@
 
 static inline bool remove_file(const std::string &file)
 {
-    if (!std::filesystem::exists(file)) {
+    const std::filesystem::u8path p_file(std::filesystem::u8path(file));
+    if (!std::filesystem::exists(p_file)) {
         return true;
     }
 
-    if (std::filesystem::is_directory(file)) {
+    if (std::filesystem::is_directory(p_file)) {
         return false;
     }
 
-    return std::filesystem::remove(file);
+    return std::filesystem::remove(p_file);
 }
 
 static inline bool remove_file(const std::wstring &file)
@@ -32,4 +33,4 @@ static inline bool remove_file(const std::wstring &file)
 }
 
 
-#endif // _TEST_CRASH_PRINTER_HELPER_H
\ No newline at end of file
+#endif // _TEST_CRASH_PRINTER_HELPER_H
diff --git a/dll/dll/steam_remote_storage.h b/dll/dll/steam_remote_storage.h
index fe4d73ba..4a6785a9 100644
--- a/dll/dll/steam_remote_storage.h
+++ b/dll/dll/steam_remote_storage.h
@@ -57,10 +57,11 @@ static void copy_file(const std::string &src_filepath, const std::string &dst_fi
     try
     {
         PRINT_DEBUG("copying file '%s' to '%s'", src_filepath.c_str(), dst_filepath.c_str());
-        const auto src_p = std::filesystem::path(src_filepath);
-        if (!std::filesystem::exists(src_p) || std::filesystem::is_directory(src_p)) return;
+        const std::filesystem::path src_p(std::filesystem::u8path(src_filepath));
         
-        const auto dst_p = std::filesystem::path(dst_filepath);
+        if (!common_helpers::file_exist(src_p)) return;
+        
+        const std::filesystem::path dst_p(std::filesystem::u8path(dst_filepath));
         std::filesystem::create_directories(dst_p.parent_path()); // make the folder tree if needed
         std::filesystem::copy_file(src_p, dst_p, std::filesystem::copy_options::overwrite_existing);
     } catch(...) {}
diff --git a/dll/local_storage.cpp b/dll/local_storage.cpp
index 016b4b92..48312f38 100644
--- a/dll/local_storage.cpp
+++ b/dll/local_storage.cpp
@@ -617,8 +617,8 @@ std::vector<std::string> Local_Storage::get_folders_path(std::string path)
     std::vector<std::string> output{};
     try
     {
-        const auto path_p = std::filesystem::path(path);
-        if (!std::filesystem::is_directory(path_p)) return output;
+        const std::filesystem::path path_p(std::filesystem::u8path(path));
+        if (!common_helpers::dir_exist(path_p)) return output;
 
         for (const auto &dir_entry :
             std::filesystem::directory_iterator(path_p, std::filesystem::directory_options::follow_directory_symlink)) {
diff --git a/dll/settings_parser.cpp b/dll/settings_parser.cpp
index d21bbf5c..a7de5aee 100644
--- a/dll/settings_parser.cpp
+++ b/dll/settings_parser.cpp
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ static void load_overlay_appearance(class Settings *settings_client, class Setti
         PRINT_DEBUG("  Overlay appearance line '%s'='%s'", name.c_str(), value.c_str());
         try {
             if (name.compare("Font_Override") == 0) {
-                value = common_helpers::string_strip(Settings::sanitize(value));
+                value = common_helpers::string_strip(value);
                 // first try the local settings folder
                 std::string nfont_override(common_helpers::to_absolute(value, Local_Storage::get_game_settings_path() + "fonts"));
                 if (!common_helpers::file_exist(nfont_override)) {
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ static bool parse_local_save(std::string &save_path)
     auto ptr = ini.GetValue("user::saves", "local_save_path");
     if (!ptr || !ptr[0]) return false;
     
-    save_path = common_helpers::to_absolute(common_helpers::string_strip(Settings::sanitize(ptr)), Local_Storage::get_program_path());
+    save_path = common_helpers::to_absolute(common_helpers::string_strip(ptr), Local_Storage::get_program_path());
     if (save_path.size() && save_path.back() != *PATH_SEPARATOR) {
         save_path.push_back(*PATH_SEPARATOR);
     }
@@ -1104,7 +1104,7 @@ static void parse_build_id(class Settings *settings_client, class Settings *sett
 // main::general::crash_printer_location
 static void parse_crash_printer_location()
 {
-    std::string line(common_helpers::string_strip(Settings::sanitize(ini.GetValue("main::general", "crash_printer_location", ""))));
+    std::string line(common_helpers::string_strip(ini.GetValue("main::general", "crash_printer_location", "")));
     if (line.size()) {
         auto crash_path = utf8_decode(common_helpers::to_absolute(line, get_full_program_path()));
         if (crash_path.size()) {
diff --git a/helpers/common_helpers.cpp b/helpers/common_helpers.cpp
index 77e199f1..21942dbe 100644
--- a/helpers/common_helpers.cpp
+++ b/helpers/common_helpers.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ static bool create_dir_impl(std::filesystem::path &dirpath)
 
 bool common_helpers::create_dir(const std::string_view &filepath)
 {
-    std::filesystem::path parent(std::filesystem::path(filepath).parent_path());
+    std::filesystem::path parent(std::filesystem::u8path(filepath).parent_path());
     return create_dir_impl(parent);
 }
 
@@ -231,17 +231,17 @@ static std::filesystem::path to_absolute_impl(const std::filesystem::path &path,
 
 std::string common_helpers::to_absolute(const std::string_view &path, const std::string_view &base)
 {
-    if (path.empty()) return std::string(path);
+    if (path.empty()) return {};
     auto path_abs = to_absolute_impl(
-        std::filesystem::path(path),
-        base.empty() ? std::filesystem::current_path() : std::filesystem::path(base)
+        std::filesystem::u8path(path),
+        base.empty() ? std::filesystem::current_path() : std::filesystem::u8path(base)
     );
     return path_abs.u8string();
 }
 
 std::wstring common_helpers::to_absolute(const std::wstring_view &path, const std::wstring_view &base)
 {
-    if (path.empty()) return std::wstring(path);
+    if (path.empty()) return {};
     auto path_abs = to_absolute_impl(
         std::filesystem::path(path),
         base.empty() ? std::filesystem::current_path() : std::filesystem::path(base)
@@ -263,15 +263,13 @@ bool common_helpers::file_exist(const std::filesystem::path &filepath)
 bool common_helpers::file_exist(const std::string &filepath)
 {
     if (filepath.empty()) return false;
-    std::filesystem::path path(filepath);
-    return file_exist(path);
+    return file_exist(std::filesystem::u8path(filepath));
 }
 
 bool common_helpers::file_exist(const std::wstring &filepath)
 {
     if (filepath.empty()) return false;
-    std::filesystem::path path(filepath);
-    return file_exist(path);
+    return file_exist(std::filesystem::path(filepath));
 }
 
 bool common_helpers::file_size(const std::filesystem::path &filepath, size_t &size)
@@ -285,14 +283,12 @@ bool common_helpers::file_size(const std::filesystem::path &filepath, size_t &si
 
 bool common_helpers::file_size(const std::string &filepath, size_t &size)
 {
-    const auto file_p = std::filesystem::path(filepath);
-    return file_size(file_p, size);
+    return file_size(std::filesystem::u8path(filepath), size);
 }
 
 bool common_helpers::file_size(const std::wstring &filepath, size_t &size)
 {
-    const auto file_p = std::filesystem::path(filepath);
-    return file_size(file_p, size);
+    return file_size(std::filesystem::path(filepath), size);
 }
 
 bool common_helpers::dir_exist(const std::filesystem::path &dirpath)
@@ -307,13 +303,11 @@ bool common_helpers::dir_exist(const std::filesystem::path &dirpath)
 bool common_helpers::dir_exist(const std::string &dirpath)
 {
     if (dirpath.empty()) return false;
-    std::filesystem::path path(dirpath);
-    return dir_exist(path);
+    return dir_exist(std::filesystem::u8path(dirpath));
 }
 
 bool common_helpers::dir_exist(const std::wstring &dirpath)
 {
     if (dirpath.empty()) return false;
-    std::filesystem::path path(dirpath);
-    return dir_exist(path);
+    return dir_exist(std::filesystem::path(dirpath));
 }