diff --git a/examples/serial_example.cc b/examples/serial_example.cc
index 6b29803..59d8f7c 100644
--- a/examples/serial_example.cc
+++ b/examples/serial_example.cc
@@ -55,7 +55,11 @@ int run(int argc, char **argv)
 
   // Argument 2 is the baudrate
   unsigned long baud = 0;
+#ifdef WIN32
+  sscanf_s(argv[2], "%lu", &baud);
+#else
   sscanf(argv[2], "%lu", &baud);
+#endif
 
   // port, baudrate, timeout in milliseconds
   serial::Serial my_serial(port, baud, serial::Timeout::simpleTimeout(1000));
diff --git a/include/serial/serial.h b/include/serial/serial.h
index f7e1fa4..63ae92a 100644
--- a/include/serial/serial.h
+++ b/include/serial/serial.h
@@ -599,8 +599,7 @@ public:
 private:
   // Disable copy constructors
   Serial(const Serial&);
-  void operator=(const Serial&);
-  const Serial& operator=(Serial);
+  Serial& operator=(const Serial&);
 
   std::string read_cache_; //!< Cache for doing reads in chunks.
 
@@ -624,8 +623,7 @@ private:
 class SerialException : public std::exception
 {
   // Disable copy constructors
-  void operator=(const SerialException&);
-  const SerialException& operator=(SerialException);
+  SerialException& operator=(const SerialException&);
   std::string e_what_;
 public:
   SerialException (const char *description) {
@@ -645,8 +643,7 @@ public:
 class IOException : public std::exception
 {
   // Disable copy constructors
-  void operator=(const IOException&);
-  const IOException& operator=(IOException);
+  IOException& operator=(const IOException&);
   std::string file_;
   int line_;
   std::string e_what_;
@@ -655,7 +652,13 @@ public:
   explicit IOException (std::string file, int line, int errnum)
     : file_(file), line_(line), errno_(errnum) {
       std::stringstream ss;
-      ss << "IO Exception (" << errno_ << "): " << strerror (errnum);
+      char error_str [1024];
+#ifdef WIN32
+      strerror_s(error_str, 1024, errnum);
+#else
+      error_str = strerror(errnum);
+#endif
+      ss << "IO Exception (" << errno_ << "): " << error_str;
       ss << ", file " << file_ << ", line " << line_ << ".";
       e_what_ = ss.str();
   }
@@ -681,7 +684,6 @@ public:
 class PortNotOpenedException : public std::exception
 {
   // Disable copy constructors
-  void operator=(const PortNotOpenedException&);
   const PortNotOpenedException& operator=(PortNotOpenedException);
   std::string e_what_;
 public:
diff --git a/src/impl/win.cc b/src/impl/win.cc
index 1eeea2d..a17b83e 100644
--- a/src/impl/win.cc
+++ b/src/impl/win.cc
@@ -49,13 +49,13 @@ Serial::SerialImpl::open ()
   }
 
   LPCWSTR lp_port = port_.c_str();
-  fd_ = CreateFile(lp_port,
-                   GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE,
-                   0,
-                   0,
-                   OPEN_EXISTING,
-                   FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL,
-                   0);
+  fd_ = CreateFileW(lp_port,
+                    GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE,
+                    0,
+                    0,
+                    OPEN_EXISTING,
+                    FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL,
+                    0);
 
   if (fd_ == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
     DWORD errno_ = GetLastError();
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ Serial::SerialImpl::getCTS ()
     THROW (IOException, "Error getting the status of the CTS line.");
   }
 
-  return (bool) (MS_CTS_ON & dwModemStatus);
+  return (MS_CTS_ON & dwModemStatus) != 0;
 }
 
 bool
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ Serial::SerialImpl::getDSR ()
     THROW (IOException, "Error getting the status of the DSR line.");
   }
 
-  return (bool) (MS_DSR_ON & dwModemStatus);
+  return (MS_DSR_ON & dwModemStatus) != 0;
 }
 
 bool
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ Serial::SerialImpl::getRI()
     THROW (IOException, "Error getting the status of the RI line.");
   }
 
-  return (bool) (MS_RING_ON & dwModemStatus);
+  return (MS_RING_ON & dwModemStatus) != 0;
 }
 
 bool
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ Serial::SerialImpl::getCD()
     THROW (IOException, "Error getting the status of the CD line.");
   }
 
-  return (bool) (MS_RLSD_ON & dwModemStatus);
+  return (MS_RLSD_ON & dwModemStatus) != 0;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/serial.cc b/src/serial.cc
index 9114166..a247841 100755
--- a/src/serial.cc
+++ b/src/serial.cc
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ public:
 private:
   // Disable copy constructors
   ScopedReadLock(const ScopedReadLock&);
-  void operator=(const ScopedReadLock&);
   const ScopedReadLock& operator=(ScopedReadLock);
 
   SerialImpl *pimpl_;
@@ -54,7 +53,6 @@ public:
 private:
   // Disable copy constructors
   ScopedWriteLock(const ScopedWriteLock&);
-  void operator=(const ScopedWriteLock&);
   const ScopedWriteLock& operator=(ScopedWriteLock);
   SerialImpl *pimpl_;
 };