diff --git a/src/actions.c b/src/actions.c
index 643a2e11..4cc802d1 100644
--- a/src/actions.c
+++ b/src/actions.c
@@ -1574,15 +1574,16 @@ void get_sch_from_sym(char *filename, xSymbol *sym, int inst)
   }
   if(sch) my_free(_ALLOC_ID_, &sch);
 
-  /* if( strstr(xctx->current_dirname, "http://") == xctx->current_dirname ||
-   *  strstr(xctx->current_dirname, "https://") == xctx->current_dirname) {
-   */
   if(web_url) {
     char sympath[PATH_MAX];
-    /* download item into ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web */
-    tclvareval("try_download_url {", xctx->current_dirname, "} {", filename, "}", NULL);
-    /* build local file name of downloaded object and load it */
+
+    /* build local cached filename of web_url */
     my_snprintf(sympath, S(sympath), "%s/xschem_web/%s",  tclgetvar("XSCHEM_TMP_DIR"), get_cell_w_ext(filename, 0));
+    if(stat(sympath, &buf)) { /* not found, download */
+      /* download item into ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web */
+      tclvareval("try_download_url {", xctx->current_dirname, "} {", filename, "}", NULL);
+    }
+    /* load it */
     my_strncpy(filename, sympath, PATH_MAX);
   }
   my_free(_ALLOC_ID_, &str_tmp);
diff --git a/src/hilight.c b/src/hilight.c
index 4d7a78cb..3efcfc2a 100644
--- a/src/hilight.c
+++ b/src/hilight.c
@@ -579,6 +579,20 @@ static int bus_search(const char*s)
  return bus;
 }
 
+#ifndef __unix__
+static int win_regexec(const char *options, const char *pattern, char *name) 
+{
+  if (options!=NULL)
+    tclvareval("regexp {", options,"} {", pattern, "} {", name, "}", NULL);
+  else
+    tclvareval("regexp {", pattern, "} {", name, "}", NULL);
+  int ret = atoi(tclresult());
+  if (ret > 0)
+      return 1;
+  return 0;
+}
+#endif
+
 /* sel: -1 --> unselect
  *       1 --> select
  *       0 --> highlight
@@ -649,7 +663,8 @@ int search(const char *tok, const char *val, int sub, int sel)
      if( (!sub && !regexec(&re, str,0 , NULL, 0) ) ||           /* 20071120 regex instead of strcmp */
          (sub && !strcmp(str, val) && !bus) || (sub && strstr(str,val) && bus))
      #else
-     if( !sub && (strstr(str,val) ) ||
+
+     if( (!sub && win_regexec(NULL, val, str)) ||
          (sub && !strcmp(str, val) && !bus) || (sub && strstr(str,val) && bus))
      #endif
      {
@@ -683,7 +698,9 @@ int search(const char *tok, const char *val, int sub, int sel)
      if(   (!regexec(&re, str,0 , NULL, 0) && !sub )  ||       /* 20071120 regex instead of strcmp */
            ( !strcmp(str, val) &&  sub ) )
      #else
-     if (!strcmp(str, val) && sub)
+       if(   (win_regexec(NULL, val, str) && !sub )  ||       /* 20071120 regex instead of strcmp */
+           ( !strcmp(str, val) &&  sub ) )
+
      #endif
      {
        if(!sel) {
@@ -712,7 +729,8 @@ int search(const char *tok, const char *val, int sub, int sel)
      if( (!regexec(&re, str,0 , NULL, 0) && !sub ) ||
          ( !strcmp(str, val) &&  sub ))
      #else
-     if ((!strcmp(str, val) && sub))
+     if( (win_regexec(NULL, val, str) && !sub ) ||
+         ( !strcmp(str, val) &&  sub ))
      #endif
      {
        if(sel==1) {
@@ -738,7 +756,8 @@ int search(const char *tok, const char *val, int sub, int sel)
      if( (!regexec(&re, str,0 , NULL, 0) && !sub ) ||
          ( !strcmp(str, val) &&  sub ))
      #else
-     if ((!strcmp(str, val) && sub))
+     if( (win_regexec(NULL, val, str) && !sub ) ||
+         ( !strcmp(str, val) &&  sub ))
      #endif
      {
          if(sel==1) {
diff --git a/src/save.c b/src/save.c
index cb85c419..74e857a3 100644
--- a/src/save.c
+++ b/src/save.c
@@ -3194,8 +3194,11 @@ int load_sym_def(const char *name, FILE *embed_fd)
       /* not found: try web URL */
       if( strstr(xctx->current_dirname, "http://") == xctx->current_dirname ||
           strstr(xctx->current_dirname, "https://") == xctx->current_dirname) {
-        tclvareval("try_download_url {", xctx->current_dirname, "} {", name, "}", NULL);
         my_snprintf(sympath, S(sympath), "%s/xschem_web/%s", tclgetvar("XSCHEM_TMP_DIR"), get_cell_w_ext(name, 0));
+        if((lcc[level].fd=fopen(sympath,fopen_read_mode))==NULL) {
+          /* not already cached in .../xschem_web/ so download */
+          tclvareval("try_download_url {", xctx->current_dirname, "} {", name, "}", NULL);
+        }
         lcc[level].fd=fopen(sympath,fopen_read_mode);
       }
     }
@@ -4101,24 +4104,22 @@ void descend_symbol(void)
     load_schematic(1, name_embedded, 1, 1);
   } else {
     char *sympath = NULL;
-    my_strdup2(_ALLOC_ID_, &sympath, name);
-    my_strdup2(_ALLOC_ID_, &sympath, abs_sym_path(tcl_hook2(sympath), ""));
     unselect_all(1);
     remove_symbols(); /* must follow save (if) embedded */
-    dbg(1, "name=%s, sympath=%s\n", name, sympath);
 
-    if( stat(sympath, &buf) && /* file does not exists ... */
-        /* ... and we are in a schematic downloaded from web ... */
+    if( /* ... we are in a schematic downloaded from web ... */
         (strstr(xctx->current_dirname, "http://") == xctx->current_dirname ||
          strstr(xctx->current_dirname, "https://") == xctx->current_dirname)) {
       /* symbols have already been downloaded while loading parent schematic: set local file path */
       my_mstrcat(_ALLOC_ID_, &sympath, tclgetvar("XSCHEM_TMP_DIR"),
-                 "/xschem_web/", get_cell_w_ext(name, 0), NULL);
-      load_schematic(1, sympath, 1, 1);
-    } else {
-      dbg(1, "descend_symbol(): sympath=%s\n", sympath);
-      load_schematic(1, sympath, 1, 1);
+                 "/xschem_web/", get_cell_w_ext(tcl_hook2(name), 0), NULL);
     }
+    if(stat(sympath, &buf)) { /* not found */
+      dbg(1, "descend_symbol: not found: %s\n", sympath);
+      my_strdup2(_ALLOC_ID_, &sympath, abs_sym_path(tcl_hook2(name), ""));
+    }
+    dbg(1, "descend_symbol(): name=%s, sympath=%s, dirname=%s\n", name, sympath, xctx->current_dirname);
+    load_schematic(1, sympath, 1, 1);
     my_free(_ALLOC_ID_, &sympath);
   }
   zoom_full(1, 0, 1, 0.97);
diff --git a/src/xschem.tcl b/src/xschem.tcl
index 3205ae77..704d926c 100644
--- a/src/xschem.tcl
+++ b/src/xschem.tcl
@@ -3611,12 +3611,7 @@ proc property_search {} {
     button .dialog.but.cancel -text Cancel -command { set search_found 1; destroy .dialog }
     
     # Window doesn't support regular expression, has to be exact match for now
-    if {$OS == "Windows"} {
-      set search_exact 1 
-      checkbutton .dialog.but.sub -text Exact_search -variable search_exact -state disable
-    } else {
-      checkbutton .dialog.but.sub -text Exact_search -variable search_exact 
-    }
+    checkbutton .dialog.but.sub -text Exact_search -variable search_exact 
     radiobutton .dialog.but.nosel -text {Highlight} -variable search_select -value 0
     radiobutton .dialog.but.sel -text {Select} -variable search_select -value 1
     # 20171211 added unselect
@@ -6440,12 +6435,8 @@ if {$OS == "Windows"} {
 
 # Remove temporary location for web objects
 if {[file exists ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web] } {
-  foreach file [glob -nocomplain ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web/* ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web/.*] {
-    # skip /${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web/.. and /${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web/.
-    if {[regexp {/\.\.$} $file] || [regexp {/\.$} $file] } {continue}
-    file delete $file
-  } 
-  file delete ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web
+  # -force deletes also if not empty
+  file delete -force ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web
 }
 
 # used in C code
diff --git a/xschem_library/generators/symbolgen.tcl b/xschem_library/generators/symbolgen.tcl
index b2664376..afd78e60 100755
--- a/xschem_library/generators/symbolgen.tcl
+++ b/xschem_library/generators/symbolgen.tcl
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ L 4 30 -0 40 -0 {}
 B 5 37.5 -2.5 42.5 2.5 {name=y dir=out }
 B 5 -42.5 -2.5 -37.5 2.5 {name=a dir=in }
 A 4 25 -0 5 180 360 {}
-T {$arg1 $rout } -47.5 24 0 0 0.3 0.3 {}
+T {$arg1 $rout} -47.5 24 0 0 0.3 0.3 {}
 T {@name} 25 -22 0 0 0.2 0.2 {}
 T {y} 7.5 -6.5 0 1 0.2 0.2 {}
 T {a} -17.5 -6.5 0 0 0.2 0.2 {}
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ L 4 -20 -20 -20 20 {}
 L 4 -20 20 20 0 {}
 B 5 37.5 -2.5 42.5 2.5 {name=y dir=out }
 B 5 -42.5 -2.5 -37.5 2.5 {name=a dir=in }
-T {$arg1 $rout } -47.5 24 0 0 0.3 0.3 {}
+T {$arg1 $rout} -47.5 24 0 0 0.3 0.3 {}
 T {@name} 25 -22 0 0 0.2 0.2 {}
 T {y} 7.5 -6.5 0 1 0.2 0.2 {}
 T {a} -17.5 -6.5 0 0 0.2 0.2 {}