diff --git a/src/Config.h b/src/Config.h
index 58410b5b..cedd49f1 100644
--- a/src/Config.h
+++ b/src/Config.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 #define VER_LAMEXP_MINOR_LO					4
 #define VER_LAMEXP_TYPE						RC
 #define VER_LAMEXP_PATCH					1
-#define VER_LAMEXP_BUILD					972
+#define VER_LAMEXP_BUILD					974
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // Tool versions (minimum expected versions!)
diff --git a/src/Dialog_Processing.cpp b/src/Dialog_Processing.cpp
index a2e2ef33..1d1eea55 100644
--- a/src/Dialog_Processing.cpp
+++ b/src/Dialog_Processing.cpp
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ bool ProcessingDialog::winEvent(MSG *message, long *result)
 
 void ProcessingDialog::initEncoding(void)
 {
-	qWarning("ProcessingDialog::initEncoding()");
+	qDebug("Initializing encoding process...");
 	
 	m_runningThreads = 0;
 	m_currentFile = 0;
diff --git a/src/Global.cpp b/src/Global.cpp
index cb9aa691..1fc9b49a 100644
--- a/src/Global.cpp
+++ b/src/Global.cpp
@@ -361,7 +361,13 @@ DWORD lamexp_get_os_version(void)
 			{
 				throw "Ouuups: Not running under Windows NT. This is not supposed to happen!";
 			}
-			osVersion = (DWORD)((osVerInfo.dwMajorVersion << 16) | (osVerInfo.dwMinorVersion & 0xffff));
+			const DWORD osVerHi = (DWORD)(((DWORD)(osVerInfo.dwMajorVersion)) << 16);
+			const DWORD osVerLo = (DWORD)(((DWORD)(osVerInfo.dwMinorVersion)) & ((DWORD)(0xffff)));
+			osVersion = (DWORD)(((DWORD)(osVerHi)) | ((DWORD)(osVerLo)));
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			throw "GetVersionEx() has failed. This is not supposed to happen!";
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -792,7 +798,7 @@ static bool lamexp_check_compatibility_mode(const char *exportName, const char *
 {
 	QLibrary kernel32("kernel32.dll");
 
-	if(exportName != NULL)
+	if((exportName != NULL) && kernel32.load())
 	{
 		if(kernel32.resolve(exportName) != NULL)
 		{
@@ -1078,12 +1084,20 @@ bool lamexp_init_qt(int argc, char* argv[])
 		break;
 	case QSysInfo::WV_WINDOWS7:
 		qDebug("Running on Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2.\n");
-		lamexp_check_compatibility_mode(NULL, executableName);
+		lamexp_check_compatibility_mode("CreateFile2", executableName);
 		break;
 	default:
 		{
 			DWORD osVersionNo = lamexp_get_os_version();
-			qWarning("Running on an unknown/untested WinNT-based OS (v%u.%u).\n", HIWORD(osVersionNo), LOWORD(osVersionNo));
+			if(LAMEXP_EQL_OS_VER(osVersionNo, 6, 2))
+			{
+				qDebug("Running on Windows 8 (still experimental!)\n");
+				lamexp_check_compatibility_mode(NULL, executableName);
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				qWarning("Running on an unknown/untested WinNT-based OS (v%u.%u).\n", HIWORD(osVersionNo), LOWORD(osVersionNo));
+			}
 		}
 		break;
 	}
diff --git a/src/Global.h b/src/Global.h
index cef0932d..7318611f 100644
--- a/src/Global.h
+++ b/src/Global.h
@@ -156,6 +156,8 @@ SIZE_T lamexp_dbg_private_bytes(void);
 #define LAMEXP_SAFE_FREE(PTR) if(PTR) { free((void*) PTR); PTR = NULL; }
 #define LAMEXP_CLOSE(HANDLE) if(HANDLE != NULL && HANDLE != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) { CloseHandle(HANDLE); HANDLE = NULL; }
 #define LAMEXP_MIN_OS_VER(VER_INFO, VER_MAJ, VER_MIN) ((HIWORD(VER_INFO) > (VER_MAJ)) || ((HIWORD(VER_INFO) == (VER_MAJ)) && (LOWORD(VER_INFO) >= (VER_MIN))))
+#define LAMEXP_MAX_OS_VER(VER_INFO, VER_MAJ, VER_MIN) ((HIWORD(VER_INFO) < (VER_MAJ)) || ((HIWORD(VER_INFO) == (VER_MAJ)) && (LOWORD(VER_INFO) <= (VER_MIN))))
+#define LAMEXP_EQL_OS_VER(VER_INFO, VER_MAJ, VER_MIN) ((HIWORD(VER_INFO) == (VER_MAJ)) && (LOWORD(VER_INFO) == (VER_MIN)))
 #define QWCHAR(STR) reinterpret_cast<const wchar_t*>(STR.utf16())
 #define WCHAR2QSTR(STR) QString::fromUtf16(reinterpret_cast<const unsigned short*>(STR))
 #define	LAMEXP_DYNCAST(OUT,CLASS,SRC) try { OUT = dynamic_cast<CLASS>(SRC); } catch(std::bad_cast) { OUT = NULL; }