diff --git a/src/storage.cpp b/src/storage.cpp
index 54b93c270..03c3c141e 100755
--- a/src/storage.cpp
+++ b/src/storage.cpp
@@ -121,10 +121,31 @@ namespace
 		return true;
 	}
 
+	bool exists_win( const path & ph )
+	{
+		std::wstring wsave_path(safe_convert(ph.string()));
+		if(::GetFileAttributes( wsave_path.c_str() ) == 0xFFFFFFFF)
+		{
+			UINT err = ::GetLastError();
+			if((err == ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND)
+				|| (err == ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER)
+				|| (err == ERROR_NOT_READY)
+				|| (err == ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND)
+				|| (err == ERROR_INVALID_NAME)
+				|| (err == ERROR_BAD_NETPATH ))
+			return false; // GetFileAttributes failed because the path does not exist
+			// for any other error we assume the file does exist and fall through,
+			// this may not be the best policy though...  (JM 20040330)
+			return true;
+		}
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	
 	std::time_t last_write_time_win( const path & ph )
 	{
       // Works for both Windows and POSIX
-      struct _stat path_stat;
+		struct _stat path_stat;
 		std::wstring wph(safe_convert(ph.native_file_string()));
 		if ( ::_wstat( wph.c_str(), &path_stat ) != 0 )
 			boost::throw_exception( filesystem_error(
@@ -461,9 +482,9 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		save_path = complete(save_path);
 
 #if defined(WIN32) && defined(UNICODE)
-		std::wstring wsave_path(safe_convert(save_path.native_file_string()));
-		if (GetFileAttributes(wsave_path.c_str()) == INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES)
+		if (!exists_win(save_path))
 		{
+			std::wstring wsave_path(safe_convert(save_path.native_file_string()));
 			CreateDirectory(wsave_path.c_str(), 0);
 		}
 		else if ((GetFileAttributes(wsave_path.c_str()) & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY) == 0)
@@ -483,7 +504,15 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		{
 			path single_file = m_pimpl->info.begin_files()->path;
 			if (single_file.has_branch_path())
+			{
+#if defined(WIN32) && defined(UNICODE)
+				std::wstring wsave_path(safe_convert((save_path / single_file.branch_path()))
+					.native_directory_string());
+				CreateDirectory(wsave_path.c_str(), 0);
+#else
 				create_directory(save_path / single_file.branch_path());
+#endif
+			}
 
 			old_path = m_pimpl->save_path / single_file;
 			new_path = save_path / m_pimpl->info.begin_files()->path;
@@ -1305,11 +1334,8 @@ namespace libtorrent
 			path dir = m_save_path / file_iter->path;
 
 #if defined(WIN32) && defined(UNICODE)
-			std::wstring wdir(safe_convert(dir.branch_path().native_directory_string()));
-			if (GetFileAttributes(wdir.c_str()) != INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES)
-			{
+			if (!exists_win(dir.branch_path()))
 				create_directories_win(dir.branch_path());
-			}
 #else
 			if (!exists(dir.branch_path()))
 				create_directories(dir.branch_path());