diff --git a/scripts/release-common.sh b/scripts/release-common.sh
index adbba3ca..7a79b061 100755
--- a/scripts/release-common.sh
+++ b/scripts/release-common.sh
@@ -146,6 +146,8 @@ if [ ! $NUMCPU ]; then
 fi
 echo "NUMCPU: " $NUMCPU
 
+
+
 case $OS in
     LINUX|MACOSX) 
         TARGET=
@@ -244,13 +246,18 @@ if [ $BUILD_TESTS ]; then
   case $OS in
     UNIX_CROSS_WIN)
 	TESTBUILD_MACHINE=x86_64-w64-mingw32
+        # dont use build-machine trilpe in TESTBINDIR because the 'mingw32'
+        # will confuse people who are on 64 bit machines
+        TESTBINDIR=build-mingw$ARCH
+	export TESTBUILD_MACHINE
+	export TESTBINDIR
         if [[ $ARCH == 32 ]]; then
 		TESTBUILD_MACHINE=i686-pc-mingw32
 	fi
-	cd tests
-	mkdir build-mingw$ARCH
-	cd build-mingw$ARCH
-	cmake .. -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=../CMingw-cross-env.cmake \
+        cd $OPENSCADDIR
+	mkdir $TESTBINDIR
+	cd $TESTBINDIR
+	cmake ../tests/ -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=../tests/CMingw-cross-env.cmake \
           -DMINGW_CROSS_ENV_DIR=$MXEDIR \
           -DMACHINE=$TESTBUILD_MACHINE
 	if [ $FAKEMAKE = "tests" ]; then
@@ -416,45 +423,73 @@ if [ $BUILD_TESTS ]; then
         echo 'building regression test package on Win not implemented'
         ;;
     UNIX_CROSS_WIN)
-        INSTFILE=OpenSCAD-Tests-$VERSION-x86-$ARCH-Installer.exe
+        # Build a .zip file containing all the files we need to run a
+        # ctest on Windows(TM). For the sake of simplicity, we do not
+        # create an installer for the tests.
 
         echo "Copying files..."
         cd $OPENSCADDIR
-        cd ..
+        # This copies a lot of unnecessary stuff but that's OK.
+        # as above, we use tar as a somewhat portable way to do 'exclude'
+        # while copying.
+        rm -f ./ostests.tar
+       	for subdir in tests testdata libraries examples $TESTBINDIR; do
+          tar prvf ./ostests.tar --exclude=.git* --exclude=*/mingw64/* --exclude=*/mingw32/* --exclude=*.cc.obj --exclude=*.a $subdir
+        done
+
         if [ -e ./OpenSCAD-Tests-$VERSION ]; then
           rm -rf ./OpenSCAD-Tests-$VERSION
         fi
-	mkdir OpenSCAD-Tests-$VERSION
-	# this copies a lot of unnecessary stuff but that's OK.
-	# as above, we use tar as a somewhat portable way to do 'exclude'
-	# while copying.
-	rm -f ostests.tar
-	tar pcvf ostests.tar --exclude=.git* --exclude=*/mingw64/* --exclude=*/mingw32/* openscad --exclude=*.cc.obj --exclude=*.a
+        mkdir OpenSCAD-Tests-$VERSION
         cd OpenSCAD-Tests-$VERSION
         tar pxf ../ostests.tar
         cd ..
         rm -f ostests.tar
 
-	echo "Copying mingw_x_testfile.py for ease of calling"
-        cd OpenSCAD-Tests-$VERSION/openscad/tests
-        cp -v ./mingw_x_testfile.py ./build-mingw$ARCH/mingw_x_testfile.py
-	cd ../../..
+        # Now we have the basic files copied into our tree that will become
+        # our .zip file. We also want to move some files around for easier
+        # access for the user:
+        cd $OPENSCADDIR
+        cd ./OpenSCAD-Tests-$VERSION
+        echo "Copying files for ease of use when running from cmdline"
+        cp -v ./tests/OpenSCAD_Test_Console.py .
+        cp -v ./tests/mingw_convert_ctest.py ./$TESTBINDIR
 
-	echo "Creating mingw_cross_info.py file"
-        cd OpenSCAD-Tests-$VERSION/openscad/tests
-	rm -f ./mingw_cross_info.py
-	echo "# created automatically by release-common.sh " >> mingw_cross_info.py
-	echo "linux_basedir='"$OPENSCADDIR"'" >> mingw_cross_info.py
-	echo "linux_builddir='"$OPENSCADDIR"/tests/binx_"$TESTBUILD_MACHINE"'" >> mingw_cross_info.py
-	echo "bindir='binx_"$TESTBUILD_MACHINE"'" >> mingw_cross_info.py
-	# fixme .. parse CTestTestfiles to find linux+convert python strings
-	# or have CMake itself dump them during it's cross build cmake call
-	echo "linux_python='"`which python`"'" >> mingw_cross_info.py
-	echo "linux_convert='"`which convert`"'" >> mingw_cross_info.py
-	echo "win_installdir='OpenSCAD_Tests_"$VERSIONDATE"'" >> mingw_cross_info.py
-        cp -v mingw_cross_info.py ./build-mingw$ARCH/mingw_cross_info.py
-	cd ../../..
+        echo "Creating mingw_cross_info.py file"
+        cd $OPENSCADDIR
+        cd OpenSCAD-Tests-$VERSION
+        cd $TESTBINDIR
+        if [ -e ./mingw_cross_info.py ]; then
+          rm -f ./mingw_cross_info.py
+        fi
+        echo "# created automatically by release-common.sh from within linux " >> mingw_cross_info.py
+        echo "linux_abs_basedir='"$OPENSCADDIR"'" >> mingw_cross_info.py
+        echo "linux_abs_builddir='"$OPENSCADDIR/$TESTBINDIR"'" >> mingw_cross_info.py
+        echo "bindir='"$TESTBINDIR"'" >> mingw_cross_info.py
+        # fixme .. parse CTestTestfiles to find linux+convert python strings
+        # or have CMake itself dump them during it's cross build cmake call
+        echo "linux_python='"`which python`"'" >> mingw_cross_info.py
+        echo "linux_convert='"`which convert`"'" >> mingw_cross_info.py
+        echo "win_installdir='OpenSCAD_Tests_"$VERSIONDATE"'" >> mingw_cross_info.py
 
+        # Test binaries can be hundreds of megabytes due to debugging info.
+        # By default, we strip that. In most cases we wont need it if
+        # the files are too big it will drive away potential users.
+        echo "stripping .exe binaries"
+        cd $OPENSCADDIR
+        cd OpenSCAD-Tests-$VERSION
+        cd $TESTBINDIR
+        if [ "`command -v $TESTBUILD_MACHINE'-strip' `" ]; then
+            for exefile in *exe; do
+                ls -sh $exefile
+                echo $TESTBUILD_MACHINE'-strip' $exefile
+                $TESTBUILD_MACHINE'-strip' $exefile
+                ls -sh $exefile
+            done
+        fi
+
+        # Build the actual .zip archive based on the file tree we've built above
+        cd $OPENSCADDIR
         ZIPFILE=OpenSCAD-Tests-$VERSION-x86-$ARCH.zip
         echo "Creating binary zip package for Tests:" $ZIPFILE
         rm -f ./$ZIPFILE
diff --git a/tests/CTestCustom.template b/tests/CTestCustom.template
index a01f2b52..fce40f96 100644
--- a/tests/CTestCustom.template
+++ b/tests/CTestCustom.template
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ endif()
 # Part 1. Pretty Printing
 
 message("running '__openscad_binpath__ --info' to generate sysinfo.txt")
-execute_process(COMMAND __wine__ __openscad_binpath__ --info OUTPUT_FILE sysinfo.txt)
+execute_process(COMMAND __openscad_binpath__ --info OUTPUT_FILE sysinfo.txt)
 
 if("${CMAKE_MAJOR_VERSION}.${CMAKE_MINOR_VERSION}.${CMAKE_PATCH_VERSION}" VERSION_LESS 2.8.12)
   set(CTEST_CUSTOM_POST_TEST ${CTEST_CUSTOM_POST_TEST} "__cmake_current_binary_dir__/test_pretty_print")
diff --git a/tests/mingw_convert_ctest.py b/tests/mingw_convert_ctest.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..625b862f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/mingw_convert_ctest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+#
+# Mingw_x_testfile - convert paths in CTestTestfile.cmake so they work 
+# under Windows(TM). 
+
+# Usage:
+# 
+# In Windows(TM) open a console, cd to the test suite as built by
+# openscad/scripts/release-common.sh tests, then run this script.
+#
+# C:
+# cd C:\temp\OpenSCAD-Tests-2012.03.40
+# C:\python27\python.exe mingw_convert_ctest.py
+#   This will overwrite CTestTestfile.cmake and CTestCustom.cmake.
+#   If all goes well, 'ctest' can then be run. 
+#
+#
+# C:\python27\python.exe mingw_convert_ctest.py --debug
+#   This will provide extra debug info
+#
+# C:\python27\python.exe mingw_convert_ctest.py --undo
+#   This will restore original CTest files from backup
+
+
+#
+# This is a primitive version - it assumes the locations for several files,
+# including ImageMagick, Python, and several other programs.
+#
+
+# Note that under 'cmake', Windows(TM) paths use / instead of \ as a 
+# folder separator.
+
+# mingw_cross_info.py is created during the the scripts/release-common.sh build
+# of the regression test package. it contains info regarding paths in
+# CTestTestfiles.cmake that we need to modify
+import mingw_cross_info
+
+import sys,os,string
+_debug=False
+_undo=False
+def debug(*args):
+	global _debug
+	if _debug:
+		print 'mingw_x_testfile:',
+		for arg in args: print arg,
+		print
+
+thisfile_abspath=os.path.abspath(__file__)
+
+linbase=mingw_cross_info.linux_abs_basedir
+winbase=os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(thisfile_abspath))
+
+linbuild=mingw_cross_info.linux_abs_builddir
+winbuild=winbase+'/'+mingw_cross_info.bindir
+
+lintct=linbase+'/tests/test_cmdline_tool.py'
+wintct=winbase+'/tests/test_cmdline_tool.py'
+
+linpy=mingw_cross_info.linux_python #'/usr/bin/python'
+winpy='c:/python27/python.exe'
+
+linosng=linbuild+'/openscad_nogui.exe'
+winosng=winbuild+'/openscad_nogui.exe'
+
+linconv=mingw_cross_info.linux_convert #'/usr/bin/convert'
+# Find imagemagick's convert.exe
+list64=[]
+list32=[]
+imbase=''
+for basedir in 'C:/Program Files','C:/Program Files (x86)':
+	if os.path.isdir(basedir):
+		pflist=os.listdir(basedir)
+		for subdir in pflist:
+			if 'ImageMagick' in subdir:
+				imbase = basedir+'/'+subdir
+winconv=imbase+'/convert.exe'
+if not os.path.isfile(winconv):
+	print 'error, cant find convert.exe'
+
+linoslib='OPENSCADPATH='+linbase+'/tests/../libraries'
+winoslib='OPENSCADPATH='+winbase+'/tests/../libraries'
+
+lintestdata=linbase+'/tests/../testdata'
+wintestdata=winbase+'/tests/../testdata'
+
+linexamples=linbase+'/tests/../examples'
+winexamples=winbase+'/tests/../examples'
+
+if '--debug' in string.join(sys.argv): _debug=True
+if '--undo' in string.join(sys.argv): _undo=True
+
+def processfile(infilename):
+	backup_filename = infilename+'.backup'
+	if _undo:
+		open(infilename,'wb').write(open(backup_filename,'rb').read())
+		print 'restored ',infilename,'from backup'
+		return
+	open(backup_filename,'wb').write(open(infilename,'rb').read())
+	debug ('wrote backup of ',infilename,' to ',backup_filename)
+
+	outfilename = infilename.replace('.cmake','.win.cmake')
+	fin=open(infilename,'rb')
+	lines=fin.readlines()
+	fout=open(outfilename,'wb')
+	fout.write('#'+os.linesep)
+	fout.write('# modified by mingw_x_testfile.py'+os.linesep)
+	fout.write('#'+os.linesep)
+
+	debug('inputname',infilename)
+	debug('outputname',outfilename)
+
+	for line in lines:
+		debug('input:',line)
+
+		line=line.replace(lintct,wintct)
+		line=line.replace(linpy,winpy)
+		line=line.replace(linosng,winosng)
+		line=line.replace(linconv,winconv)
+		line=line.replace(linoslib,winoslib)
+		line=line.replace(lintestdata,wintestdata)
+		line=line.replace(linexamples,winexamples)
+
+		line=line.replace(linbase,winbase)
+		line=line.replace('\\','/')
+
+		# Fixme - how do we escape spaces in cmake?
+		line=line.replace('Program Files','Progra~1')
+	
+		debug('output:',line)
+
+		fout.write(line)
+
+	print 'backed up',infilename, 'to', backup_filename
+	print 'processed',infilename, 'to', outfilename
+	fin.close()
+	fout.close()
+	open(infilename,'wb').write(open(outfilename,'rb').read())
+	print 'new version of',infilename,'written'
+
+processfile('CTestTestfile.cmake')
+processfile('CTestCustom.cmake')
+