diff --git a/cmd/v/internal/compile/msvc.v b/cmd/v/internal/compile/msvc.v
index defbe2e5ad..810eae928d 100644
--- a/cmd/v/internal/compile/msvc.v
+++ b/cmd/v/internal/compile/msvc.v
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ struct WindowsKit {
 fn find_windows_kit_root(host_arch string) ?WindowsKit {
 	$if windows {
 		root_key := RegKey(0)
-		rc := C.RegOpenKeyEx(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, 'SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows Kits\\Installed Roots'.to_wide(), 0, KEY_QUERY_VALUE | KEY_WOW64_32KEY | KEY_ENUMERATE_SUB_KEYS, &root_key)
+		path := 'SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows Kits\\Installed Roots'
+		rc := C.RegOpenKeyEx(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, path.to_wide(), 0, KEY_QUERY_VALUE | KEY_WOW64_32KEY | KEY_ENUMERATE_SUB_KEYS, &root_key)
 		defer {
 			C.RegCloseKey(root_key)
 		}
diff --git a/vlib/os/os_windows.v b/vlib/os/os_windows.v
index 9ef0557756..7d77002c7e 100644
--- a/vlib/os/os_windows.v
+++ b/vlib/os/os_windows.v
@@ -131,8 +131,9 @@ pub fn is_dir(path string) bool {
 */
 
 pub fn open(path string) ?File {
+	mode := 'rb'
 	file := File {
-		cfile: C._wfopen(path.to_wide(), 'rb'.to_wide())
+		cfile: C._wfopen(path.to_wide(), mode.to_wide())
 		opened: true
 	}
 	if isnil(file.cfile) {
@@ -143,8 +144,9 @@ pub fn open(path string) ?File {
 
 // create creates a file at a specified location and returns a writable `File` object.
 pub fn create(path string) ?File {
+	mode := 'wb'
 	file := File {
-		cfile: C._wfopen(path.to_wide(), 'wb'.to_wide())
+		cfile: C._wfopen(path.to_wide(), mode.to_wide())
 		opened: true
 	}
 	if isnil(file.cfile) {