diff --git a/youtube_dl_gui/optionsmanager.py b/youtube_dl_gui/optionsmanager.py
index a2d97c1..c5c3f55 100644
--- a/youtube_dl_gui/optionsmanager.py
+++ b/youtube_dl_gui/optionsmanager.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class OptionsManager(object):
     def __init__(self, config_path):
         self.config_path = config_path
         self.settings_file = os.path.join(config_path, self.SETTINGS_FILENAME)
-        self.options = dict()
+        self.options = {}
         self.load_default()
         self.load_from_file()
 
diff --git a/youtube_dl_gui/utils.py b/youtube_dl_gui/utils.py
index b34259d..65e0d5d 100644
--- a/youtube_dl_gui/utils.py
+++ b/youtube_dl_gui/utils.py
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def get_config_path():
 
     """
     if os.name == 'nt':
-        path = os.getenv('APPDATA')
+        path = os.getenv('APPDATA').decode(get_encoding(), 'ignore')
     else:
         path = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'), '.config')
 
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ def get_locale_file():
     DIR_NAME = 'locale'
 
     SEARCH_DIRS = [
-        os.path.join(absolute_path(sys.argv[0]), DIR_NAME),
+        os.path.join(absolute_path(sys.argv[0].decode(get_encoding(), 'ignore')), DIR_NAME),
         os.path.join(get_lib_path(), DIR_NAME),
         os.path.join('/usr', 'share', __appname__.lower(), DIR_NAME)
     ]
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ def get_icon_file():
     ICONS_LIST = [ICON_NAME % size for size in SIZES]
 
     search_dirs = [
-        os.path.join(absolute_path(sys.argv[0]), 'icons'),
+        os.path.join(absolute_path(sys.argv[0].decode(get_encoding(), 'ignore')), 'icons'),
         os.path.join(get_lib_path(), 'icons'),
     ]
 
@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@ def get_icon_file():
     path = os.getenv('XDG_DATA_DIRS')
 
     if path is not None:
+        path = path.decode(get_encoding(), 'ignore')
         for xdg_path in path.split(':'):
             xdg_path = os.path.join(xdg_path, 'icons', 'hicolor')