diff --git a/src/CardinalCommon.cpp b/src/CardinalCommon.cpp
index 5945b9f..1670a8b 100644
--- a/src/CardinalCommon.cpp
+++ b/src/CardinalCommon.cpp
@@ -43,8 +43,10 @@
 # undef DEBUG
 #endif
 
-// for finding home dir
-#ifndef ARCH_WIN
+// for finding special paths
+#ifdef ARCH_WIN
+# include <shlobj.h>
+#else
 # include <pwd.h>
 # include <unistd.h>
 #endif
@@ -55,6 +57,31 @@ namespace rack {
 namespace settings {
 int rateLimit = 0;
 }
+
+#ifdef ARCH_WIN
+std::string getSpecialPath(const SpecialPath type)
+{
+    int csidl;
+    switch (type)
+    {
+    case kSpecialPathUserProfile:
+        csidl = CSIDL_PROFILE;
+        break;
+    case kSpecialPathCommonProgramFiles:
+        csidl = CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON;
+        break;
+    default:
+        return {};
+    }
+
+    WCHAR path[MAX_PATH + 256];
+
+    if (SHGetSpecialFolderPathW(nullptr, path, csidl, FALSE))
+        return string::UTF16toUTF8(path);
+
+    return {};
+}
+#endif
 }
 
 namespace patchUtils
@@ -74,19 +101,11 @@ static void promptClear(const char* const message, const std::function<void()> a
 static std::string homeDir()
 {
 # ifdef ARCH_WIN
-    if (const char* const userprofile = getenv("USERPROFILE"))
-    {
-        return userprofile;
-    }
-    else if (const char* const homedrive = getenv("HOMEDRIVE"))
-    {
-        if (const char* const homepath = getenv("HOMEPATH"))
-            return system::join(homedrive, homepath);
-    }
+    return getSpecialPath(kSpecialPathUserProfile);
 # else
     if (const char* const home = getenv("HOME"))
         return home;
-    else if (struct passwd* const pwd = getpwuid(getuid()))
+    if (struct passwd* const pwd = getpwuid(getuid()))
         return pwd->pw_dir;
 # endif
     return {};
diff --git a/src/CardinalCommon.hpp b/src/CardinalCommon.hpp
index 7c9a74f..961c340 100644
--- a/src/CardinalCommon.hpp
+++ b/src/CardinalCommon.hpp
@@ -41,6 +41,14 @@ namespace window {
 void generateScreenshot();
 }
 
+#ifdef ARCH_WIN
+enum SpecialPath {
+    kSpecialPathUserProfile,
+    kSpecialPathCommonProgramFiles,
+};
+std::string getSpecialPath(SpecialPath type);
+#endif
+
 } // namespace rack
 
 namespace patchUtils {
diff --git a/src/CardinalPlugin.cpp b/src/CardinalPlugin.cpp
index b41be7a..c5779f2 100644
--- a/src/CardinalPlugin.cpp
+++ b/src/CardinalPlugin.cpp
@@ -155,7 +155,8 @@ struct Initializer
                    #if defined(ARCH_MAC)
                     asset::systemDir = "/Library/Application Support/Cardinal";
                    #elif defined(ARCH_WIN)
-                    if (const char* const commonprogfiles = std::getenv("COMMONPROGRAMFILES"))
+                    const std::string commonprogfiles = getSpecialPath(kSpecialPathCommonProgramFiles);
+                    if (! commonprogfiles.empty())
                         asset::systemDir = system::join(commonprogfiles, "Cardinal");
                    #else
                     asset::systemDir = CARDINAL_PLUGIN_PREFIX "/share/cardinal";