diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index e3a41f9e10..3a6806275e 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "candle-nn",
  "candle-transformers",
  "cudarc",
- "expanduser",
+ "dirs 6.0.0",
  "filesys",
  "futures 0.3.29",
  "hf-hub 0.3.2",
@@ -673,12 +673,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "log",
  "memory_caching",
  "once_cell",
- "openssl",
  "rand 0.8.5",
  "reqwest 0.12.12",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "serde_yaml",
+ "serial_test",
  "tauri",
  "tauri-build",
  "tauri-plugin-log",
@@ -739,12 +739,6 @@ version = "0.3.9"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "76a2e8124351fda1ef8aaaa3bbd7ebbcb486bbcd4225aca0aa0d84bb2db8fecb"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "arrayvec"
-version = "0.5.2"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "23b62fc65de8e4e7f52534fb52b0f3ed04746ae267519eef2a83941e8085068b"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "arrayvec"
 version = "0.7.6"
@@ -1028,7 +1022,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "6678909d8c5d46a42abcf571271e15fdbc0a225e3646cf23762cd415046c78bf"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
- "arrayvec 0.7.6",
+ "arrayvec",
  "log",
  "nom",
  "num-rational",
@@ -1041,7 +1035,7 @@ version = "0.8.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "e335041290c43101ca215eed6f43ec437eb5a42125573f600fc3fa42b9bddd62"
 dependencies = [
- "arrayvec 0.7.6",
+ "arrayvec",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1311,17 +1305,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "wyz",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "blake2b_simd"
-version = "0.5.11"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "afa748e348ad3be8263be728124b24a24f268266f6f5d58af9d75f6a40b5c587"
-dependencies = [
- "arrayref",
- "arrayvec 0.5.2",
- "constant_time_eq 0.1.5",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "blake2b_simd"
 version = "1.0.2"
@@ -1329,7 +1312,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "23285ad32269793932e830392f2fe2f83e26488fd3ec778883a93c8323735780"
 dependencies = [
  "arrayref",
- "arrayvec 0.7.6",
+ "arrayvec",
  "constant_time_eq 0.3.0",
 ]
 
@@ -2857,19 +2840,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "syn 2.0.87",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "dashmap"
-version = "5.5.3"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "978747c1d849a7d2ee5e8adc0159961c48fb7e5db2f06af6723b80123bb53856"
-dependencies = [
- "cfg-if 1.0.0",
- "hashbrown 0.14.5",
- "lock_api 0.4.12",
- "once_cell",
- "parking_lot_core 0.9.10",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "dasp_sample"
 version = "0.11.0"
@@ -3212,17 +3182,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "dirs-sys 0.4.1",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "dirs"
-version = "1.0.5"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "3fd78930633bd1c6e35c4b42b1df7b0cbc6bc191146e512bb3bedf243fcc3901"
-dependencies = [
- "libc",
- "redox_users 0.3.5",
- "winapi 0.3.9",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "dirs"
 version = "5.0.1"
@@ -3873,17 +3832,6 @@ version = "2.5.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "0206175f82b8d6bf6652ff7d71a1e27fd2e4efde587fd368662814d6ec1d9ce0"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "expanduser"
-version = "1.2.2"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "14e0b79235da57db6b6c2beed9af6e5de867d63a973ae3e91910ddc33ba40bc0"
-dependencies = [
- "dirs 1.0.5",
- "lazy_static",
- "pwd",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "exr"
 version = "1.73.0"
@@ -5918,7 +5866,7 @@ checksum = "50ae7e0018905a795d6f2a60ac32a547490abdd8df509906a8c6171e6d861711"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "binstring",
- "blake2b_simd 1.0.2",
+ "blake2b_simd",
  "coarsetime",
  "ct-codecs",
  "ed25519-compact",
@@ -6883,7 +6831,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "actix-rt",
  "ahash 0.8.11",
  "anstream",
- "arrayvec 0.7.6",
+ "arrayvec",
  "base64 0.21.7",
  "base64 0.22.1",
  "base64ct",
@@ -8660,16 +8608,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "version_check",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "pwd"
-version = "1.4.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "72c71c0c79b9701efe4e1e4b563b2016dd4ee789eb99badcb09d61ac4b92e4a2"
-dependencies = [
- "libc",
- "thiserror 1.0.63",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "pyo3"
 version = "0.22.6"
@@ -8995,7 +8933,7 @@ checksum = "cd87ce80a7665b1cce111f8a16c1f3929f6547ce91ade6addf4ec86a8dda5ce9"
 dependencies = [
  "arbitrary",
  "arg_enum_proc_macro",
- "arrayvec 0.7.6",
+ "arrayvec",
  "av1-grain",
  "bitstream-io",
  "built",
@@ -9224,17 +9162,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "bitflags 2.5.0",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "redox_users"
-version = "0.3.5"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "de0737333e7a9502c789a36d7c7fa6092a49895d4faa31ca5df163857ded2e9d"
-dependencies = [
- "getrandom 0.1.16",
- "redox_syscall 0.1.57",
- "rust-argon2",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "redox_users"
 version = "0.4.6"
@@ -9521,18 +9448,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "realfft",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "rust-argon2"
-version = "0.8.3"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "4b18820d944b33caa75a71378964ac46f58517c92b6ae5f762636247c09e78fb"
-dependencies = [
- "base64 0.13.1",
- "blake2b_simd 0.5.11",
- "constant_time_eq 0.1.5",
- "crossbeam-utils 0.8.20",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "rust-embed"
 version = "8.0.0"
@@ -9618,7 +9533,7 @@ version = "1.36.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "b082d80e3e3cc52b2ed634388d436fe1f4de6af5786cc2de9ba9737527bdf555"
 dependencies = [
- "arrayvec 0.7.6",
+ "arrayvec",
  "borsh",
  "bytes 1.10.0",
  "num-traits",
@@ -9836,6 +9751,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "winapi-util",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "scc"
+version = "2.3.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ea091f6cac2595aa38993f04f4ee692ed43757035c36e67c180b6828356385b1"
+dependencies = [
+ "sdd",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "schannel"
 version = "0.1.23"
@@ -9925,6 +9849,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "untrusted",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "sdd"
+version = "3.0.8"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "584e070911c7017da6cb2eb0788d09f43d789029b5877d3e5ecc8acf86ceee21"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "seahash"
 version = "4.1.0"
@@ -10245,23 +10175,23 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "serial_test"
-version = "3.0.0"
+version = "3.2.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "953ad9342b3aaca7cb43c45c097dd008d4907070394bd0751a0aa8817e5a018d"
+checksum = "1b258109f244e1d6891bf1053a55d63a5cd4f8f4c30cf9a1280989f80e7a1fa9"
 dependencies = [
- "dashmap",
  "futures 0.3.29",
- "lazy_static",
  "log",
+ "once_cell",
  "parking_lot 0.12.2",
+ "scc",
  "serial_test_derive",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "serial_test_derive"
-version = "3.0.0"
+version = "3.2.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "b93fb4adc70021ac1b47f7d45e8cc4169baaa7ea58483bc5b721d19a26202212"
+checksum = "5d69265a08751de7844521fd15003ae0a888e035773ba05695c5c759a6f89eef"
 dependencies = [
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
@@ -11309,7 +11239,7 @@ name = "symphonia-core"
 version = "0.5.0"
 source = "git+https://github.com/pdeljanov/Symphonia.git?rev=e1a70095c4409478c1ded499fb8dd4afa540fb90#e1a70095c4409478c1ded499fb8dd4afa540fb90"
 dependencies = [
- "arrayvec 0.7.6",
+ "arrayvec",
  "bitflags 1.3.2",
  "bytemuck",
  "lazy_static",
@@ -11322,7 +11252,7 @@ version = "0.5.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "798306779e3dc7d5231bd5691f5a813496dc79d3f56bf82e25789f2094e022c3"
 dependencies = [
- "arrayvec 0.7.6",
+ "arrayvec",
  "bitflags 1.3.2",
  "bytemuck",
  "lazy_static",
diff --git a/crates/desktop/src-tauri/Cargo.toml b/crates/desktop/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
index f0650c2353..42a7ad4d74 100644
--- a/crates/desktop/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/desktop/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
@@ -27,21 +27,22 @@ memory_caching = { path = "../../lib/caching/memory_caching" }
 cudarc = "0.13.7"
 
 # External
+#openssl = { version = "0.10", features = ["vendored"] }
 anyhow = "1.0"
 base64 = "0.22.1"
 bytes = "1.10"
 candle-core = { path = "../../vendor/candle/candle-core", features = ["cuda"] }
 candle-nn = { path = "../../vendor/candle/candle-nn", features = ["cuda"] }
 candle-transformers = { path = "../../vendor/candle/candle-transformers", features = ["cuda"] }
-expanduser = "1.2.2"
+dirs = "6.0.0"
 futures = "0.3"
 hf-hub = "0.3.2"
 image = "0.25.5"
 log = "0.4"
 once_cell = "1.20.3"
-openssl = { version = "0.10", features = ["vendored"] }
 rand = "0.8.5"
-reqwest = { version = "0.12.12", features = ["stream"] }
+# NB(bt,2025-03-10): default-features = false on Windows while I debug openssl / rustls
+reqwest = { version = "0.12.12", features = ["stream"], default-features = false }
 serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = "1.0"
 serde_yaml = "0.9"
@@ -55,10 +56,18 @@ tokio-util = { version = "0.7", features = ["codec"] }
 
 [features]
 default = ["cuda"]
-cuda = ["candle-core/cuda", "candle-nn/cuda", "candle-transformers/cuda", "candle-transformers/flash-attn", "candle-core/cudnn"]
+cuda = [
+    "candle-core/cuda",
+    "candle-nn/cuda",
+    "candle-transformers/cuda",
+# NB(bt,2025-03-10): Building without Flash attention on Windows for now to bypass linker issues
+#    "candle-transformers/flash-attn",
+#    "candle-core/cudnn"
+]
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 libloading = "0.8.6"
+serial_test = "3.2.0"
 
 [profile.dev]
 incremental = true # Compile your binary in smaller steps.
diff --git a/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/app_config.rs b/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/app_config.rs
index bbec6c266e..896962daeb 100644
--- a/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/app_config.rs
+++ b/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/app_config.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ use crate::state::os_platform::OsPlatform;
 use crate::state::yaml_config::YamlConfig;
 use candle_core::{DType, Device};
 use candle_transformers::models::stable_diffusion::StableDiffusionConfig;
-use expanduser::expanduser;
 use filesys::recursively_find_file_by_name::recursively_find_file_by_name;
 use hf_hub::api::sync::Api;
 use log::info;
diff --git a/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/app_dir.rs b/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/app_dir.rs
index 24a690dbec..000c59c6a4 100644
--- a/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/app_dir.rs
+++ b/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/app_dir.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
+use crate::ml::model_type::ModelType;
+use crate::state::expanduser::expanduser;
 use crate::state::os_platform::OsPlatform;
-use expanduser::expanduser;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use tempdir::TempDir;
 use tempfile::{Builder, NamedTempFile};
-use crate::ml::model_type::ModelType;
 
 const ASSETS_SUBDIRECTORY : &str = "assets";
 const WEIGHTS_SUBDIRECTORY : &str = "weights";
diff --git a/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/expanduser.rs b/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/expanduser.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..788d3c259b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/expanduser.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+use once_cell::sync::Lazy;
+use std::io;
+use std::path::{PathBuf, MAIN_SEPARATOR};
+
+static PREFIX: Lazy<String> = Lazy::new(|| format!("~{}", MAIN_SEPARATOR));
+
+/// The "expanduser" crate doesn't compile on Windows, so we replace its functionality slightly
+pub fn expanduser<P: AsRef<str>>(path: P) -> io::Result<PathBuf> {
+
+   Ok(match path.as_ref() {
+       // matches an exact "~"
+       s if s == "~" => {
+           home_dir()?
+       },
+       // matches paths that start with `~/`
+       s if s.starts_with(&*PREFIX) => {
+           let home = home_dir()?;
+           home.join(&s[2..])
+       },
+       // // matches paths that start with `~` but not `~/`, might be a `~username/` path
+       // s if s.starts_with("~") => {
+       //     let mut parts = s[1..].splitn(2, MAIN_SEPARATOR);
+       //     let user = parts.next()
+       //         .ok_or_else(|| io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::Other, "malformed path"))?;
+       //     let user = Passwd::from_name(&user)
+       //         .map_err(|_| io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::Other, "error searching for user"))?
+       //         .ok_or_else(|| io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::Other, format!("user '{}', does not exist", &user)))?;
+       //     if let Some(ref path) = parts.next() {
+       //         PathBuf::from(user.dir).join(&path)
+       //     } else {
+       //         PathBuf::from(user.dir)
+       //     }
+       // },
+       // nothing to expand, just make a PathBuf
+       s => PathBuf::from(s)
+   })
+}
+
+pub fn home_dir() -> io::Result<PathBuf> {
+    dirs::home_dir()
+        .ok_or_else(|| io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::Other, "no home directory is set"))
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use crate::state::expanduser::expanduser;
+    use std::env;
+    use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+    #[test]
+    #[serial_test::serial]
+    fn test_success() {
+        let old_home = env::var("HOME").expect("no home dir set");
+        let new_home = "/home/foo";
+        env::set_var("HOME", new_home);
+        let path = expanduser("~/path/to/directory");
+        env::set_var("HOME", old_home);
+        assert_eq!(path.expect("io error"), PathBuf::from("/home/foo/path/to/directory"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[serial_test::serial]
+    fn test_only_tilde() {
+        let old_home = env::var("HOME").expect("no home dir set");
+        let new_home = "/home/foo";
+        env::set_var("HOME", new_home);
+        let pathstr = "~";
+        let path = expanduser(pathstr);
+        env::set_var("HOME", old_home);
+        assert_eq!(path.expect("io error"), PathBuf::from("/home/foo"));
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/mod.rs b/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/mod.rs
index 9bfb21afea..6038017250 100644
--- a/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/desktop/src-tauri/src/state/mod.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 pub mod app_config;
 pub mod app_dir;
 pub mod os_platform;
-pub mod yaml_config;
\ No newline at end of file
+pub mod yaml_config;
+pub mod expanduser;
\ No newline at end of file