diff --git a/gramps/gen/const.py b/gramps/gen/const.py
index 795f13359..8f214dcaa 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/const.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/const.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ if 'GRAMPSHOME' in os.environ:
 elif 'USERPROFILE' in os.environ:
     USER_HOME = get_env_var('USERPROFILE') 
     if 'APPDATA' in os.environ:
-        HOME_DIR = os.path.join(os.environ['APPDATA'], 'gramps')
+        HOME_DIR = os.path.join(get_env_var('APPDATA'), 'gramps')
     else:
         HOME_DIR = os.path.join(USER_HOME, 'gramps')
 else:
diff --git a/gramps/gen/db/write.py b/gramps/gen/db/write.py
index a285928af..157be961b 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/db/write.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/db/write.py
@@ -2266,10 +2266,9 @@ def write_lock_file(name):
         os.mkdir(name)
     f = open(os.path.join(name, DBLOCKFN), "w")
     if win():
-        user = os.environ['USERNAME']
-        try:
-            host = os.environ['USERDOMAIN']
-        except:
+        user = get_env_var('USERNAME')
+        host = get_env_var('USERDOMAIN')
+        if host == None:
             host = ""
     else:
         host = os.uname()[1]
diff --git a/gramps/gen/utils/file.py b/gramps/gen/utils/file.py
index 63a68d535..d7b082605 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/utils/file.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/utils/file.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ LOG = logging.getLogger(".gen.utils.file")
 # Gramps modules
 #
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-from ..constfunc import win, mac, cuni, conv_to_unicode, UNITYPE
+from ..constfunc import win, mac, cuni, conv_to_unicode, UNITYPE, get_env_var
 from ..const import TEMP_DIR, USER_HOME, GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -258,14 +258,14 @@ def search_for(name):
     else:
         name = name.split()[0]
     if win():
-        for i in os.environ['PATH'].split(';'):
+        for i in get_env_var('PATH').split(';'):
             fname = os.path.join(i, name)
             if os.access(fname, os.X_OK) and not os.path.isdir(fname):
                 return 1
         if os.access(name, os.X_OK) and not os.path.isdir(name):
             return 1
-    else:
-        for i in os.environ['PATH'].split(':'):
+    else: 
+        for i in os.environ['PATH'].split(':'): #not win()
             fname = os.path.join(i, name)
             if os.access(fname, os.X_OK) and not os.path.isdir(fname):
                 return 1