diff --git a/src/blackmisc/fileutils.cpp b/src/blackmisc/fileutils.cpp
index 0a1b3a8a3..0fc32a0d0 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/fileutils.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/fileutils.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         if (fileNameAndPath.isEmpty()) { return false; }
         QFile file(fileNameAndPath);
         if (!file.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly)) { return false; }
-        qint64 c = file.write(data);
+        const qint64 c = file.write(data);
         file.close();
         return c == data.count();
     }
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         QFile file(fileNameAndPath);
         if (!file.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly | QIODevice::Text)) { return {}; }
         QTextStream stream(&file);
-        QString content(stream.readAll());
+        const QString content(stream.readAll());
         file.close();
         return content;
     }
@@ -205,8 +205,8 @@ namespace BlackMisc
     QString CFileUtils::normalizeFilePathToQtStandard(const QString &filePath)
     {
         if (filePath.isEmpty()) { return {}; }
-        QString n(filePath);
-        n = n.replace('\\', '/').replace("//", "/");
+        QString n = QDir::cleanPath(filePath);
+        n = n.replace('\\', '/').replace("//", "/"); // should be done alreay by cleanPath, paranoia
         return n;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/simulation/fscommon/fscommonutil.cpp b/src/blackmisc/simulation/fscommon/fscommonutil.cpp
index dca26749c..354c2c23b 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/simulation/fscommon/fscommonutil.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/simulation/fscommon/fscommonutil.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
                 QString fsxPath;
                 if (CBuildConfig::isCompiledWithFsxSupport())
                 {
-                    FsRegistryPathPair fsxRegistryPathPairs =
+                    const FsRegistryPathPair fsxRegistryPathPairs =
                     {
                         { QStringLiteral("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Microsoft Games\\Flight Simulator\\10.0"), QStringLiteral("AppPath") },
                         { QStringLiteral("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Microsoft Games\\Flight Simulator - Steam Edition\\10.0"), QStringLiteral("AppPath") },
@@ -59,13 +59,13 @@ namespace BlackMisc
 
                     for (const auto &registryPair : fsxRegistryPathPairs)
                     {
-                        QSettings fsxRegistry(registryPair.first, QSettings::NativeFormat);
+                        const QSettings fsxRegistry(registryPair.first, QSettings::NativeFormat);
                         fsxPath = fsxRegistry.value(registryPair.second).toString().trimmed();
 
                         if (!fsxPath.isEmpty()) break;
                     }
                 }
-                return fsxPath;
+                return CFileUtils::normalizeFilePathToQtStandard(fsxPath);
             }
 
             const QString &CFsCommonUtil::fsxDirFromRegistry()
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
 
             QString fsxDirImpl()
             {
-                QString dir(CFsCommonUtil::fsxDirFromRegistry());
+                const QString dir(CFsCommonUtil::fsxDirFromRegistry());
                 if (!dir.isEmpty()) { return dir; }
                 QStringList someDefaultDirs(
                 {
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
 
             QString fsxSimObjectsDirFromRegistryImpl()
             {
-                const QString fsxPath = CFsCommonUtil::fsxDirFromRegistry();
+                const QString fsxPath = CFileUtils::normalizeFilePathToQtStandard(CFsCommonUtil::fsxDirFromRegistry());
                 if (fsxPath.isEmpty()) { return {}; }
                 return CFsCommonUtil::fsxSimObjectsDirFromSimDir(fsxPath);
             }
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             QString CFsCommonUtil::fsxSimObjectsDirFromSimDir(const QString &simDir)
             {
                 if (simDir.isEmpty()) { return {}; }
-                return CFileUtils::appendFilePaths(simDir, "SimObjects");
+                return CFileUtils::appendFilePaths(CFileUtils::normalizeFilePathToQtStandard(simDir), "SimObjects");
             }
 
             const QStringList &CFsCommonUtil::fsxSimObjectsExcludeDirectoryPatterns()
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
                     };
                     for (const auto &registryPair : p3dRegistryPathPairs)
                     {
-                        QSettings p3dRegistry(registryPair.first, QSettings::NativeFormat);
+                        const QSettings p3dRegistry(registryPair.first, QSettings::NativeFormat);
                         p3dPath = p3dRegistry.value(registryPair.second).toString().trimmed();
 
                         if (!p3dPath.isEmpty()) break;
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
 
             const QString &CFsCommonUtil::p3dDirFromRegistry()
             {
-                static const QString p3dPath(p3dDirFromRegistryImpl());
+                static const QString p3dPath = CFileUtils::normalizeFilePathToQtStandard(p3dDirFromRegistryImpl());
                 return p3dPath;
             }
 
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             {
                 // finding the user settings only works on P3D machine
                 QStringList allPaths = CFsCommonUtil::allFsxSimObjectPaths().toList();
-                const QString sod = simObjectsDir.isEmpty() ? CFsCommonUtil::fsxSimObjectsDir() : simObjectsDir;
+                const QString sod = CFileUtils::normalizeFilePathToQtStandard(simObjectsDir.isEmpty() ? CFsCommonUtil::fsxSimObjectsDir() : simObjectsDir);
                 if (!sod.isEmpty() && !allPaths.contains(sod, Qt::CaseInsensitive))
                 {
                     // case insensitive is important here
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             {
                 // finding the user settings only works on P3D machine
                 QStringList allPaths = CFsCommonUtil::allP3dAddOnXmlSimObjectPaths(versionHint).toList();
-                const QString sod = simObjectsDir.isEmpty() ? CFsCommonUtil::p3dSimObjectsDir() : simObjectsDir;
+                const QString sod = CFileUtils::normalizeFilePathToQtStandard(simObjectsDir.isEmpty() ? CFsCommonUtil::p3dSimObjectsDir() : simObjectsDir);
                 if (!sod.isEmpty() && !allPaths.contains(sod, Qt::CaseInsensitive))
                 {
                     // case insensitive is important here
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             QString CFsCommonUtil::p3dSimObjectsDirFromSimDir(const QString &simDir)
             {
                 if (simDir.isEmpty()) { return {}; }
-                return CFileUtils::appendFilePaths(simDir, "SimObjects");
+                return CFileUtils::normalizeFilePathToQtStandard(CFileUtils::appendFilePaths(simDir, "SimObjects"));
             }
 
             const QStringList &CFsCommonUtil::p3dSimObjectsExcludeDirectoryPatterns()
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
                 }
 
                 QString targetDir = CFileUtils::appendFilePathsAndFixUnc(simObjectDir, "Misc");
-                QDir td(targetDir);
+                const QDir td(targetDir);
                 if (!td.exists())
                 {
                     messages.push_back(CStatusMessage(getLogCategories(), CStatusMessage::SeverityError, u"Cannot access target directory '%1'") << targetDir);