diff --git a/code/nel/include/nel/misc/string_common.h b/code/nel/include/nel/misc/string_common.h
index 4a455247d..2d2a7e676 100644
--- a/code/nel/include/nel/misc/string_common.h
+++ b/code/nel/include/nel/misc/string_common.h
@@ -264,6 +264,40 @@ inline bool fromString(const std::string &str, bool &val)
 	return true;
 }
 
+inline bool fromString(const char *str, uint32 &val) { if (strstr(str, "-") != NULL) { val = 0; return false; } char *end; unsigned long v; errno = 0; v = strtoul(str, &end, 10); if (errno || v > UINT_MAX || end == str) { val = 0; return false; } else { val = (uint32)v; return true; } }
+inline bool fromString(const char *str, sint32 &val) { char *end; long v; errno = 0; v = strtol(str, &end, 10); if (errno || v > INT_MAX || v < INT_MIN || end == str) { val = 0; return false; } else { val = (sint32)v; return true; } }
+inline bool fromString(const char *str, uint8 &val) { char *end; long v; errno = 0; v = strtol(str, &end, 10); if (errno || v > UCHAR_MAX || v < 0 || end == str) { val = 0; return false; } else { val = (uint8)v; return true; } }
+inline bool fromString(const char *str, sint8 &val) { char *end; long v; errno = 0; v = strtol(str, &end, 10); if (errno || v > SCHAR_MAX || v < SCHAR_MIN || end == str) { val = 0; return false; } else { val = (sint8)v; return true; } }
+inline bool fromString(const char *str, uint16 &val) { char *end; long v; errno = 0; v = strtol(str, &end, 10); if (errno || v > USHRT_MAX || v < 0 || end == str) { val = 0; return false; } else { val = (uint16)v; return true; } }
+inline bool fromString(const char *str, sint16 &val) { char *end; long v; errno = 0; v = strtol(str, &end, 10); if (errno || v > SHRT_MAX || v < SHRT_MIN || end == str) { val = 0; return false; } else { val = (sint16)v; return true; } }
+inline bool fromString(const char *str, uint64 &val) { bool ret = sscanf(str, "%"NL_I64"u", &val) == 1; if (!ret) val = 0; return ret; }
+inline bool fromString(const char *str, sint64 &val) { bool ret = sscanf(str, "%"NL_I64"d", &val) == 1; if (!ret) val = 0; return ret; }
+inline bool fromString(const char *str, float &val) { bool ret = sscanf(str, "%f", &val) == 1; if (!ret) val = 0.0f; return ret; }
+inline bool fromString(const char *str, double &val) { bool ret = sscanf(str, "%lf", &val) == 1; if (!ret) val = 0.0; return ret; }
+
+inline bool fromString(const char *str, bool &val)
+{
+	switch (str[0])
+	{
+	case '1':
+	case 't':
+	case 'y':
+	case 'T':
+	case 'Y':
+		val = true;
+		return true;
+	case '0':
+	case 'f':
+	case 'n':
+	case 'F':
+	case 'N':
+		val = false;
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	return false;
+}
+
 inline bool fromString(const std::string &str, std::string &val) { val = str; return true; }
 
 // stl vectors of bool use bit reference and not real bools, so define the operator for bit reference
diff --git a/code/nel/include/nel/misc/xml_auto_ptr.h b/code/nel/include/nel/misc/xml_auto_ptr.h
index eacde74da..8e0c3adb7 100644
--- a/code/nel/include/nel/misc/xml_auto_ptr.h
+++ b/code/nel/include/nel/misc/xml_auto_ptr.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ public:
 	~CXMLAutoPtr() { destroy(); }
 	operator const char *() const { return _Value; }
 	operator bool() const { return _Value != NULL; }
-	operator std::string() const { return std::string(_Value); }
+	inline std::string str() const { return _Value; }
 	bool operator ! () const { return _Value == NULL; }
 	operator const unsigned char *() const { return (const unsigned char *)  _Value; }
 	char operator * ()  const { nlassert(_Value); return *_Value; }
diff --git a/code/nel/src/misc/debug.cpp b/code/nel/src/misc/debug.cpp
index a4037607f..2a9c5282a 100644
--- a/code/nel/src/misc/debug.cpp
+++ b/code/nel/src/misc/debug.cpp
@@ -19,12 +19,6 @@
 #include "nel/misc/types_nl.h"
 
 #ifdef NL_OS_WINDOWS
-#	define _WIN32_WINDOWS	0x0410
-#	ifndef NL_COMP_MINGW
-#	define WINVER			0x0400
-#		define NOMINMAX
-#	endif
-#	include <windows.h>
 #	include <direct.h>
 #	include <tchar.h>
 #	include <imagehlp.h>
diff --git a/code/nel/src/misc/displayer.cpp b/code/nel/src/misc/displayer.cpp
index 8b6b7a577..4b9231663 100644
--- a/code/nel/src/misc/displayer.cpp
+++ b/code/nel/src/misc/displayer.cpp
@@ -18,16 +18,7 @@
 
 #include "nel/misc/types_nl.h"
 
-#ifdef NL_OS_WINDOWS
-// these defines is for IsDebuggerPresent(). it'll not compile on windows 95
-// just comment this and the IsDebuggerPresent to compile on windows 95
-#	define _WIN32_WINDOWS	0x0410
-#	ifndef NL_COMP_MINGW
-#		define WINVER			0x0400
-#		define NOMINMAX
-#	endif
-#	include <windows.h>
-#else
+#ifndef NL_OS_WINDOWS
 #	define IsDebuggerPresent() false
 #endif
 
diff --git a/code/nel/src/misc/mem_displayer.cpp b/code/nel/src/misc/mem_displayer.cpp
index 49431097d..fc5681657 100644
--- a/code/nel/src/misc/mem_displayer.cpp
+++ b/code/nel/src/misc/mem_displayer.cpp
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ static string getFuncInfo (DWORD_TYPE funcAddr, DWORD_TYPE stackAddr)
 		if (stop==0 && (parse[i] == ',' || parse[i] == ')'))
 		{
 			char tmp[32];
-			sprintf (tmp, "=0x%p", *((ULONG*)(stackAddr) + 2 + pos++));
+			sprintf(tmp, "=0x%p", *((DWORD_TYPE*)(stackAddr) + 2 + pos++));
 			str += tmp;
 		}
 		str += parse[i];
diff --git a/code/nel/src/misc/mutex.cpp b/code/nel/src/misc/mutex.cpp
index 28f6bae37..8135d954f 100644
--- a/code/nel/src/misc/mutex.cpp
+++ b/code/nel/src/misc/mutex.cpp
@@ -41,15 +41,6 @@ using namespace std;
 
 #ifdef NL_OS_WINDOWS
 
-// these defines are for IsDebuggerPresent(). It'll not compile on windows 95
-// just comment this and the IsDebuggerPresent to compile on windows 95
-#define _WIN32_WINDOWS	0x0410
-#ifndef NL_COMP_MINGW
-#	define WINVER			0x0400
-#	define NOMINMAX
-#endif
-#include <windows.h>
-
 #ifdef DEBUG_NEW
 	#define new DEBUG_NEW
 #endif
diff --git a/code/nel/src/misc/stdmisc.h b/code/nel/src/misc/stdmisc.h
index b98d92d2a..37284511c 100644
--- a/code/nel/src/misc/stdmisc.h
+++ b/code/nel/src/misc/stdmisc.h
@@ -43,8 +43,10 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
-#	ifndef __MINGW32__
-		#define NOMINMAX
+#	define _WIN32_WINDOWS 0x0410
+#	ifndef NL_COMP_MINGW
+#		define WINVER 0x0400
+#		define NOMINMAX
 #	endif
 #	include <WinSock2.h>
 #	include <windows.h>