diff --git a/node/handler/ExportHandler.js b/node/handler/ExportHandler.js
index e128fd7b..674950f4 100644
--- a/node/handler/ExportHandler.js
+++ b/node/handler/ExportHandler.js
@@ -23,11 +23,20 @@ var padManager = require("../db/PadManager");
 var async = require("async");
 var fs = require("fs");
 var settings = require('../utils/Settings');
+var os = require('os');
 
 //load abiword only if its enabled
 if(settings.abiword != null)
   var abiword = require("../utils/Abiword");
 
+var tempDirectory = "/tmp";
+
+//tempDirectory changes if the operating system is windows 
+if(os.type().indexOf("Windows") > -1)
+{
+  tempDirectory = "c:\\Temp";
+}
+  
 /**
  * do a requested export
  */ 
@@ -52,7 +61,7 @@ exports.doExport = function(req, res, padId, type)
     var html;
     var randNum;
     var srcFile, destFile;
-  
+
     async.series([
       //render the html document
       function(callback)
@@ -76,7 +85,7 @@ exports.doExport = function(req, res, padId, type)
         else
         {
           randNum = Math.floor(Math.random()*new Date().getTime());
-          srcFile = "/tmp/eplite_export_" + randNum + ".html";
+          srcFile = tempDirectory + "/eplite_export_" + randNum + ".html";
           fs.writeFile(srcFile, html, callback); 
         }
       },
@@ -86,7 +95,7 @@ exports.doExport = function(req, res, padId, type)
         //ensure html can be collected by the garbage collector
         html = null;
       
-        destFile = "/tmp/eplite_export_" + randNum + "." + type;
+        destFile = tempDirectory + "/eplite_export_" + randNum + "." + type;
         abiword.convertFile(srcFile, destFile, type, callback);
       },
       //send the file
@@ -104,7 +113,11 @@ exports.doExport = function(req, res, padId, type)
           },
           function(callback)
           {
-            fs.unlink(destFile, callback);
+            //100ms delay to accomidate for slow windows fs
+            setTimeout(function() 
+            {
+              fs.unlink(destFile, callback);
+            }, 100);
           }
         ], callback);
       }
diff --git a/node/handler/ImportHandler.js b/node/handler/ImportHandler.js
index 489ee1b0..c02c9f50 100644
--- a/node/handler/ImportHandler.js
+++ b/node/handler/ImportHandler.js
@@ -24,10 +24,19 @@ var async = require("async");
 var fs = require("fs");
 var settings = require('../utils/Settings');
 var formidable = require('formidable');
+var os = require("os");
 
 //load abiword only if its enabled
 if(settings.abiword != null)
   var abiword = require("../utils/Abiword");
+
+var tempDirectory = "/tmp/";
+
+//tempDirectory changes if the operating system is windows
+if(os.type().indexOf("Windows") > -1)
+{
+  tempDirectory = "c:\\Temp\\";
+}
   
 /**
  * do a requested import
@@ -48,6 +57,7 @@ exports.doImport = function(req, res, padId)
     {
       var form = new formidable.IncomingForm();
       form.keepExtensions = true;
+      form.uploadDir = tempDirectory;
       
       form.parse(req, function(err, fields, files) 
       { 
@@ -94,7 +104,7 @@ exports.doImport = function(req, res, padId)
     function(callback)
     {
       var randNum = Math.floor(Math.random()*new Date().getTime());
-      destFile = "/tmp/eplite_import_" + randNum + ".txt";
+      destFile = tempDirectory + "eplite_import_" + randNum + ".txt";
       abiword.convertFile(srcFile, destFile, "txt", callback);
     },
     
@@ -114,7 +124,13 @@ exports.doImport = function(req, res, padId)
       fs.readFile(destFile, "utf8", function(err, _text)
       {
         text = _text;
-        callback(err);
+        
+        //node on windows has a delay on releasing of the file lock.  
+        //We add a 100ms delay to work around this
+        setTimeout(function()
+        {
+          callback(err);
+        }, 100);
       });
     },
     
diff --git a/node/utils/Abiword.js b/node/utils/Abiword.js
index edac4648..326cb767 100644
--- a/node/utils/Abiword.js
+++ b/node/utils/Abiword.js
@@ -20,73 +20,45 @@
  
 var util  = require('util');
 var spawn = require('child_process').spawn;
-var async = require("async");
 var settings = require("./Settings");
 
-//Queue with the converts we have to do
-var queue = async.queue(doConvertTask, 1);
-
-//spawn the abiword process
-var abiword = spawn(settings.abiword, ["--plugin", "AbiCommand"]);
-
-//append error messages to the buffer
-abiword.stderr.on('data', function (data) 
-{
-  stdoutBuffer += data.toString();
-});
-
-//throw exceptions if abiword is dieing
-abiword.on('exit', function (code) 
-{
-  throw "Abiword died with exit code " + code;
-});
-
-//delegate the processing of stdout to a other function
-abiword.stdout.on('data',onAbiwordStdout);
-
-var stdoutCallback = null;
 var stdoutBuffer = "";
-var firstPrompt = true;
-
-function onAbiwordStdout(data)
-{
-  //add data to buffer
-  stdoutBuffer+=data.toString();
-  
-  //we're searching for the prompt, cause this means everything we need is in the buffer
-  if(stdoutBuffer.search("AbiWord:>") != -1)
-  {
-    //filter the feedback message
-    var err = stdoutBuffer.search("OK") != -1 ? null : stdoutBuffer;
-    
-    //reset the buffer
-    stdoutBuffer = "";
-    
-    //call the callback with the error message
-    //skip the first prompt
-    if(stdoutCallback != null && !firstPrompt)
-    {
-      stdoutCallback(err);
-      stdoutCallback = null;
-    }
-    
-    firstPrompt = false;
-  }
-}
 
 function doConvertTask(task, callback)
 {
-  abiword.stdin.write("convert " + task.srcFile + " " + task.destFile + " " + task.type + "\n");
+  //span an abiword process to perform the conversion
+  var abiword = spawn(settings.abiword, ["--to=" + task.destFile, task.srcFile]);
   
-  //create a callback that calls the task callback and the caller callback
-  stdoutCallback = function (err)
+  //delegate the processing of stdout to another function
+  abiword.stdout.on('data', function (data)
   {
+    //add data to buffer
+    stdoutBuffer+=data.toString();
+  });
+
+  //append error messages to the buffer
+  abiword.stderr.on('data', function (data) 
+  {
+    stdoutBuffer += data.toString();
+  });
+
+  //throw exceptions if abiword is dieing
+  abiword.on('exit', function (code)
+  {
+    if(code != 0) {
+      throw "Abiword died with exit code " + code;
+    }
+
+    if(stdoutBuffer != "")
+    {
+      console.log(stdoutBuffer);
+    }
+
     callback();
-    task.callback(err);
-  };
+  });
 }
 
 exports.convertFile = function(srcFile, destFile, type, callback)
 {
-  queue.push({"srcFile": srcFile, "destFile": destFile, "type": type, "callback": callback});
+  doConvertTask({"srcFile": srcFile, "destFile": destFile, "type": type}, callback);
 };