diff --git a/src/actions.c b/src/actions.c
index 646aae6a..2d77785c 100644
--- a/src/actions.c
+++ b/src/actions.c
@@ -284,11 +284,15 @@ void new_window(const char* cell, int symbol)
   ZeroMemory(&si, sizeof(si));
   si.cb = sizeof(si);
   ZeroMemory(&pi, sizeof(pi));
-  if (!cell || !cell[0]) {
-    if (!symbol)
-      my_snprintf(cmd_line, S(cmd_line), "%s -b -s", xschem_executable);
+  /* "detach" (-b) is not processed for Windows, so 
+     use DETACHED_PROCESS in CreateProcessA to not create
+     a TCL shell
+  */
+  if (!cell || !cell[0]) { 
+    if (!symbol) 
+      my_snprintf(cmd_line, S(cmd_line), "%s -b -s --tcl \"set XSCHEM_START_WINDOW {}\"", xschem_executable);
     else
-      my_snprintf(cmd_line, S(cmd_line), "%s -b -y", xschem_executable);
+      my_snprintf(cmd_line, S(cmd_line), "%s -b -y --tcl \"set XSCHEM_START_WINDOW {}\"", xschem_executable);
   }
   else if (!symbol) {
     my_snprintf(cmd_line, S(cmd_line), "%s -b -s \"%s\"", xschem_executable, cell);
@@ -304,7 +308,7 @@ void new_window(const char* cell, int symbol)
     NULL,               /* Process handle not inheritable */
     NULL,               /* Thread handle not inheritable */
     FALSE,              /* Set handle inheritance to FALSE */
-    CREATE_NEW_CONSOLE, /* Opens file in a separate console */
+    DETACHED_PROCESS,   /* Opens file in a separate console */
     NULL,               /* Use parent's environment block */
     NULL,               /* Use parent's starting directory */
     &si,                /* Pointer to STARTUPINFO structure */
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 85fc1052..edb5cabf 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -86,8 +86,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     fprintf(errfp, "main(): no DISPLAY set, assuming no X available\n");
 
 /* detach from console (fork a child and close std file descriptors) */
-#ifdef __unix__
+
   if(detach) {
+#ifdef __unix__
     pid_t pid = fork();
     if(pid < 0) {
       fprintf(errfp, "main(): fork() failed\n");
@@ -106,8 +107,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
       /* terminate parent */
       exit(0);
     }
-  }
 #endif
+  }
 
   if(has_x) Tk_Main(1, argv, Tcl_AppInit);
   else     Tcl_Main(1, argv, Tcl_AppInit);
diff --git a/src/xinit.c b/src/xinit.c
index 6a344516..c9775a8f 100644
--- a/src/xinit.c
+++ b/src/xinit.c
@@ -1831,6 +1831,9 @@ int Tcl_AppInit(Tcl_Interp *inter)
    char * tmp;
    char filename[PATH_MAX];
    tmp = (char *) tclgetvar("XSCHEM_START_WINDOW");
+#ifndef __unix__
+   change_to_unix_fn(tmp);
+#endif
    dbg(1, "Tcl_AppInit(): tmp=%s\n", tmp? tmp: "NULL");
    my_strncpy(filename, abs_sym_path(tmp, ""), S(filename));
     /* if do_netlist=1 call load_schematic with 'reset_undo=0' avoiding call 
@@ -1924,11 +1927,7 @@ int Tcl_AppInit(Tcl_Interp *inter)
  /* */
 
 
- if(
-#ifdef __unix__
-    !detach &&
-#endif
-    !no_readline) {
+ if(!detach && !no_readline) {
    tcleval( "if {![catch {package require tclreadline}]} "
      "{::tclreadline::readline builtincompleter 0;"
      /*  "::tclreadline::readline customcompleter completer;" */