diff --git a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/filesystem/ssh/ISshCommandExecutor.java b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/filesystem/ssh/ISshCommandExecutor.java
index c07c37c2286d332403a03a5b53d41d9d448d36a5..f40801c8bb8d825a1d234769020aea3218c9384b 100644
--- a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/filesystem/ssh/ISshCommandExecutor.java
+++ b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/filesystem/ssh/ISshCommandExecutor.java
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@
 
 package ch.systemsx.cisd.common.filesystem.ssh;
 
-import java.io.File;
-
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.filesystem.BooleanStatus;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.process.ProcessResult;
 
@@ -27,7 +25,7 @@ import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.process.ProcessResult;
 public interface ISshCommandExecutor
 {
 
-    public abstract BooleanStatus exists(File file, final long timeOutMillis);
+    public abstract BooleanStatus exists(final String pathString, final long timeOutMillis);
 
     public abstract BooleanStatus checkDirectoryAccessible(final String pathString,
             final long timeOutMillis);
diff --git a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/filesystem/ssh/SshCommandExecutor.java b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/filesystem/ssh/SshCommandExecutor.java
index 4ae11a145e850680906f1607173a2df1e608d8f4..07616d50c09183662aad743b804811499a68e2fd 100644
--- a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/filesystem/ssh/SshCommandExecutor.java
+++ b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/filesystem/ssh/SshCommandExecutor.java
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ public class SshCommandExecutor implements ISshCommandExecutor, Serializable
         return result.getOutput().size() == 0;
     }
 
-    public final BooleanStatus exists(File file, final long timeOutMillis)
+    public final BooleanStatus exists(final String pathString, final long timeOutMillis)
     {
-        final String cmd = mkCheckFileExistsCommand(file.getPath());
+        final String cmd = mkCheckFileExistsCommand(pathString);
         final ProcessResult result = tryExecuteCommandRemotely(cmd, timeOutMillis);
         if (result.isOK())
         {
diff --git a/datamover/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/datamover/filesystem/store/FileStoreRemote.java b/datamover/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/datamover/filesystem/store/FileStoreRemote.java
index 3e4ade2adafba8a69a02321c3755d7717f8fe403..78e866ab9a7252b3a55afc8a331e25c9eaed8c26 100644
--- a/datamover/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/datamover/filesystem/store/FileStoreRemote.java
+++ b/datamover/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/datamover/filesystem/store/FileStoreRemote.java
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ public class FileStoreRemote extends AbstractFileStore
 
     public final Status delete(final StoreItem item)
     {
-        final String pathString = StoreItem.asFile(getPath(), item).getPath();
+        final String pathString = toUnixPathString(item);
         final String cmd = mkDeleteFileCommand(pathString);
         final ProcessResult result =
                 sshCommandExecutor.tryExecuteCommandRemotely(cmd, QUICK_SSH_TIMEOUT_MILLIS);
@@ -215,8 +215,8 @@ public class FileStoreRemote extends AbstractFileStore
 
     public final BooleanStatus exists(final StoreItem item)
     {
-        final File itemFile = StoreItem.asFile(getPath(), item);
-        return sshCommandExecutor.exists(itemFile, QUICK_SSH_TIMEOUT_MILLIS);
+        final String pathString = toUnixPathString(item);
+        return sshCommandExecutor.exists(pathString, QUICK_SSH_TIMEOUT_MILLIS);
     }
 
     public final IStoreCopier getCopier(final IFileStore destinationDirectory)
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ public class FileStoreRemote extends AbstractFileStore
     private final StatusWithResult<Long> lastChangedExec(final StoreItem item,
             final long stopWhenFindYoungerMillis, boolean isRelative)
     {
-        final String itemPath = StoreItem.asFile(getPath(), item).getPath();
+        final String itemPath = toUnixPathString(item);
 
         final String cmd =
                 mkLastchangedCommand(itemPath, stopWhenFindYoungerMillis, isRelative,
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ public class FileStoreRemote extends AbstractFileStore
 
     private final StatusWithResult<Long> lastChangedEmulatedGNUFindExec(final StoreItem item)
     {
-        final String itemPath = StoreItem.asFile(getPath(), item).getPath();
+        final String itemPath = toUnixPathString(item);
 
         final String findExec = getRemoteFindExecutableOrDie();
         final String cmd = mkFindYoungestModificationTimestampSecCommand(itemPath, findExec);
@@ -279,6 +279,17 @@ public class FileStoreRemote extends AbstractFileStore
         }
     }
 
+    private String toUnixPathString(final StoreItem itemOrNull)
+    {
+        if (itemOrNull == null)
+        {
+            return getPath().getPath().replace('\\', '/');
+        } else
+        {
+            return StoreItem.asFile(getPath(), itemOrNull).getPath().replace('\\', '/');
+        }
+    }
+
     private static StatusWithResult<Long> createLastChangeError(StoreItem item, String errorMsg)
     {
         return StatusWithResult.<Long> createError("Cannot obtain last change time of the item "
@@ -317,7 +328,7 @@ public class FileStoreRemote extends AbstractFileStore
     {
         final BooleanStatus status =
                 skipAccessibilityTest ? BooleanStatus.createTrue() : sshCommandExecutor
-                        .checkDirectoryAccessible(getPathString(), timeOutMillis);
+                        .checkDirectoryAccessible(toUnixPathString(null), timeOutMillis);
         if (status.isSuccess())
         {
             if (this.remoteLastchangedExecutableOrNull != null
@@ -347,11 +358,6 @@ public class FileStoreRemote extends AbstractFileStore
         return "No GNU find utility is present on the remote machine '" + getHost() + "'";
     }
 
-    private String getPathString()
-    {
-        return getPath().getPath();
-    }
-
     // tries to execute different find versions with appropriate options on the remote host. If
     // successful sets the executable script name and returns null. Otherwise returns error message.
     private boolean checkAvailableAndSetFindUtil()
@@ -472,7 +478,7 @@ public class FileStoreRemote extends AbstractFileStore
 
     public final StoreItem[] tryListSortByLastModified(final ISimpleLogger loggerOrNull)
     {
-        final String simpleCmd = mkListByOldestModifiedCommand(getPathString());
+        final String simpleCmd = mkListByOldestModifiedCommand(toUnixPathString(null));
         final ProcessResult result =
                 sshCommandExecutor.tryExecuteCommandRemotely(simpleCmd,
                         LONG_SSH_TIMEOUT_MILLIS);
@@ -580,7 +586,7 @@ public class FileStoreRemote extends AbstractFileStore
     @Override
     public final String toString()
     {
-        final String pathStr = getPathString();
+        final String pathStr = toUnixPathString(null);
         if (tryGetRsyncModuleName() != null)
         {
             return "[remote fs] " + getHost() + ":" + tryGetRsyncModuleName() + ":" + pathStr;