--- dirspec\utils.py.orig   2012-08-29 13:27:58.446354800 +0100
+++ dirspec\utils.py        2012-08-29 13:28:12.524075600 +0100
@@ -135,7 +135,15 @@
     special_folders = {}

     if sys.platform == 'win32':
-        from win32com.shell import shell, shellcon
+        import ctypes, ctypes.wintypes
+        csidl = dict(CSIDL_PROFILE=40, CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA=28,
+                CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA=35)
+        def get_path(name):
+            SHGFP_TYPE_CURRENT = 0
+            buf = ctypes.create_unicode_buffer(ctypes.wintypes.MAX_PATH)
+            ctypes.windll.shell32.SHGetFolderPathW(0, csidl[name], 0, SHGFP_TYPE_CURRENT, buf)
+            return buf.value.encode('utf8')
+        ##from win32com.shell import shell, shellcon
         # CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA = C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local
         # CSIDL_PROFILE = C:\Users\<username>
         # CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA = C:\ProgramData
@@ -145,8 +153,8 @@
         # per http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb762181,
         # SHGetFolderPath is deprecated, replaced by SHGetKnownFolderPath
         # (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb762188)
-        get_path = lambda name: shell.SHGetFolderPath(
-            0, getattr(shellcon, name), None, 0).encode('utf8')
+        ##get_path = lambda name: shell.SHGetFolderPath(
+        ##    0, getattr(shellcon, name), None, 0).encode('utf8')
         special_folders['Personal'] = get_path("CSIDL_PROFILE")
         special_folders['Local AppData'] = get_path("CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA")
         special_folders['AppData'] = os.path.dirname(