diff --git a/XSchemWin/XSchemWix/xschemrc b/XSchemWin/XSchemWix/xschemrc
index 2c5814c1..0401c0e2 100644
--- a/XSchemWin/XSchemWix/xschemrc
+++ b/XSchemWin/XSchemWix/xschemrc
@@ -337,6 +337,13 @@ set editor {notepad.exe}
 # lappend tcl_files ${XSCHEM_SHAREDIR}/change_index.tcl
 # lappend tcl_files ${XSCHEM_SHAREDIR}/ngspice_backannotate.tcl
 
+###########################################################################
+#### WEB URL DOWNLOAD HELPER APPLICATION
+###########################################################################
+#### used to download files from web: default: {curl -f -s -O}
+# set download_url_helper {curl -f -s -O}
+# set download_url_helper {wget -N --quiet}
+
 ###########################################################################
 #### XSCHEM TOOLBAR
 ###########################################################################
diff --git a/src/save.c b/src/save.c
index 9275bc62..b6a74630 100644
--- a/src/save.c
+++ b/src/save.c
@@ -2180,7 +2180,9 @@ void load_schematic(int load_symbols, const char *fname, int reset_undo) /* 2015
     } else if((strstr(xctx->current_dirname, "http://") == xctx->current_dirname ||
                strstr(xctx->current_dirname, "https://") == xctx->current_dirname)) {
       /* ... but not local file from web download --> reset current_dirname */
-      if(strstr(filename, "/tmp/xschem_web") != filename) {
+      char sympath[PATH_MAX];
+      my_snprintf(sympath, S(sympath), "%s/xschem_web",  tclgetvar("XSCHEM_TMP_DIR"));
+      if(strstr(filename, sympath) != filename) {
         my_snprintf(msg, S(msg), "regsub {/\\.$} [get_directory {%s}] {}", filename);
         my_strncpy(xctx->current_dirname,  tcleval(msg), S(xctx->current_dirname));
       }
diff --git a/src/xschem.tcl b/src/xschem.tcl
index d58b7c39..b46f586f 100644
--- a/src/xschem.tcl
+++ b/src/xschem.tcl
@@ -2461,12 +2461,15 @@ proc myload_set_home {dir} {
 }
 
 proc setglob {dir} {
-      global myload_globfilter myload_files2
+      global myload_globfilter myload_files2 OS
       set myload_files2 [lsort [glob -nocomplain -directory $dir -tails -type d .* *]]
       if { $myload_globfilter eq {*}} {
         set myload_files2 ${myload_files2}\ [lsort [
            glob -nocomplain -directory $dir -tails -type {f} .* $myload_globfilter]]
       } else {
+        if {$OS == "Windows"} {
+          regsub {:} $myload_globfilter {\:} myload_globfilter
+        }
         set myload_files2 ${myload_files2}\ [lsort [
            glob -nocomplain -directory $dir -tails -type {f} $myload_globfilter]]
       }
@@ -4435,11 +4438,16 @@ proc get_directory {f} {
 
 # fetch a remote url into ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web
 proc download_url {url} {
-  global XSCHEM_TMP_DIR download_url_helper
+  global XSCHEM_TMP_DIR download_url_helper OS
   if {![file exists ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web]} { 
     file mkdir ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web
   }
-  set r [catch {exec sh -c "cd ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web; $download_url_helper $url"} res]
+  if {$OS eq "Windows"} {
+    set cmd "cmd /c \"cd ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web & $download_url_helper $url\""
+    set r [catch {eval exec $cmd } res]
+  } else {
+    set r [catch {exec sh -c "cd ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web; $download_url_helper $url"} res]
+  }
   # puts "download_url: url=$url, exit code=$r, res=$res"
   return $r
 }