diff --git a/code/nel/src/misc/common.cpp b/code/nel/src/misc/common.cpp
index 6ec0261f6..41a11976f 100644
--- a/code/nel/src/misc/common.cpp
+++ b/code/nel/src/misc/common.cpp
@@ -685,10 +685,7 @@ bool killProgram(uint32 pid)
 /*#elif defined(NL_OS_WINDOWS)
 	// it doesn't work because pid != handle and i don't know how to kill a pid or know the real handle of another service (not -1)
 	int res = TerminateProcess((HANDLE)pid, 888);
-	LPVOID lpMsgBuf;
-	FormatMessage(FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER | FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM | FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS, NULL, GetLastError(), MAKELANGID(LANG_NEUTRAL, SUBLANG_DEFAULT), (LPTSTR) &lpMsgBuf, 0, NULL);
 	nlwarning("Failed to kill '%d' err %d: '%s'", pid, GetLastError (), lpMsgBuf);
-	LocalFree(lpMsgBuf);
 	return res != 0;
 */
 #else
@@ -758,11 +755,12 @@ bool launchProgram(const std::string &programName, const std::string &arguments,
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		LPVOID lpMsgBuf;
-		FormatMessage(FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER | FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM | FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS, NULL, GetLastError(), MAKELANGID(LANG_NEUTRAL, SUBLANG_DEFAULT), (LPTSTR) &lpMsgBuf, 0, NULL);
 		if (log)
-			nlwarning("LAUNCH: Failed launched '%s' with arg '%s' err %d: '%s'", programName.c_str(), arguments.c_str(), GetLastError(), lpMsgBuf);
-		LocalFree(lpMsgBuf);
+		{
+			sint lastError = getLastError();
+			nlwarning("LAUNCH: Failed launched '%s' with arg '%s' err %d: '%s'", programName.c_str(), arguments.c_str(), lastError, formatErrorMessage(lastError).c_str());
+		}
+
 		CloseHandle( pi.hProcess );
 		CloseHandle( pi.hThread );
 	}
@@ -920,13 +918,11 @@ sint launchProgramAndWaitForResult(const std::string &programName, const std::st
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		LPVOID lpMsgBuf;
-		FormatMessage(FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER | FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM | FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS, NULL, GetLastError(), MAKELANGID(LANG_NEUTRAL, SUBLANG_DEFAULT), (LPTSTR) &lpMsgBuf, 0, NULL);
-
 		if (log)
-			nlwarning("LAUNCH: Failed launched '%s' with arg '%s' err %d: '%s'", programName.c_str(), arguments.c_str(), GetLastError(), lpMsgBuf);
-
-		LocalFree(lpMsgBuf);
+		{
+			sint lastError = getLastError();
+			nlwarning("LAUNCH: Failed launched '%s' with arg '%s' err %d: '%s'", programName.c_str(), arguments.c_str(), lastError, formatErrorMessage(lastError).c_str());
+		}
 
 		CloseHandle(pi.hProcess);
 		CloseHandle(pi.hThread);
diff --git a/code/nel/src/misc/mutex.cpp b/code/nel/src/misc/mutex.cpp
index af0e850ab..098bce795 100644
--- a/code/nel/src/misc/mutex.cpp
+++ b/code/nel/src/misc/mutex.cpp
@@ -81,11 +81,7 @@ inline void LeaveMutex( void *handle )
 {
 	if (ReleaseMutex(handle) == 0)
 	{
-		//LPVOID lpMsgBuf;
-		//FormatMessage( FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER | FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM | FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS,
-		//				 NULL, GetLastError(), MAKELANGID(LANG_NEUTRAL, SUBLANG_DEFAULT), (LPTSTR) &lpMsgBuf, 0, NULL );*/
 		nlerror ("error while releasing the mutex (0x%x %d), %p", GetLastError(), GetLastError(), handle);
-		//LocalFree( lpMsgBuf );
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/code/nel/src/misc/path.cpp b/code/nel/src/misc/path.cpp
index 077bc18be..41477db32 100644
--- a/code/nel/src/misc/path.cpp
+++ b/code/nel/src/misc/path.cpp
@@ -2358,23 +2358,13 @@ static bool CopyMoveFile(const std::string &dest, const std::string &src, bool c
 #ifdef NL_OS_WINDOWS
 		if (MoveFile(ssrc.c_str(), sdest.c_str()) == 0)
 		{
-			LPVOID lpMsgBuf;
-			FormatMessage(FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER |
-					    FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM |
-						FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS,
-						NULL,
-						GetLastError(),
-						MAKELANGID(LANG_NEUTRAL, SUBLANG_DEFAULT), // Default language
-						(LPTSTR) &lpMsgBuf,
-						0,
-						NULL );
+			sint lastError = NLMISC::getLastError();
 			nlwarning ("PATH: CopyMoveFile error: can't link/move '%s' into '%s', error %u (%s)",
 				ssrc.c_str(),
 				sdest.c_str(),
-				GetLastError(),
-				lpMsgBuf);
+				lastError,
+				NLMISC::formatErrorMessage(lastError).c_str());
 
-			LocalFree(lpMsgBuf);
 			return false;
 		}
 #else
diff --git a/code/nel/src/misc/system_utils.cpp b/code/nel/src/misc/system_utils.cpp
index 2746c3f39..3997f75ab 100644
--- a/code/nel/src/misc/system_utils.cpp
+++ b/code/nel/src/misc/system_utils.cpp
@@ -411,21 +411,7 @@ typedef HRESULT (WINAPI* LPCREATEDXGIFACTORY)(REFIID, void**);
 
 static std::string FormatError(HRESULT hr)
 {
-	std::string res;
-
-	LPTSTR errorText = NULL;
-
-	FormatMessage(FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM|FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER|FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS,
-		NULL, hr, MAKELANGID(LANG_NEUTRAL, SUBLANG_DEFAULT), (LPTSTR)&errorText, 0, NULL);
-
-	if (errorText)
-	{
-		res = NLMISC::toString("%s (0x%x)", errorText, hr);
-		LocalFree(errorText);
-		errorText = NULL;
-	}
-
-	return res;
+	return NLMISC::toString("%s (0x%x)", formatErrorMessage(hr).c_str(), hr);
 }
 
 struct SAdapter