diff --git a/openglcanvas.cpp b/openglcanvas.cpp
index 8be5b0133f9e659672190e70ea10b4d413f412f9..8ffad2e13eb06352eb3fc087765b11da5e9fa221 100644
--- a/openglcanvas.cpp
+++ b/openglcanvas.cpp
@@ -36,7 +36,10 @@
     }
 #endif
 
-#define PROGNAME "pano_interface"
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
+  #define PROGNAME "pano_interface"
+#endif
+
 #define VERT_SHADER_FILE "test_vertex_shader.vert"
 #define FRAG_SHADER_FILE "fragment_shader.frag"
 
@@ -310,7 +313,10 @@ enum FileType OpenGLCanvas::get_file_type(const char *filename){
 
 void OpenGLCanvas::load_image(const char *new_image){
     int width,height;
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
+    // the progname is only used for reading the PNM format
     const char * const progname=(char*)(PROGNAME);
+#endif
     unsigned char *textureBytes=NULL;
     int textureSize;
     switch(get_file_type(new_image)){
@@ -320,12 +326,14 @@ void OpenGLCanvas::load_image(const char *new_image){
             textureBytes=(unsigned char*)malloc(textureSize);
             jpgReadTextureBytes(new_image,textureBytes,&width,&height);
             break;
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
         case PNM:
             fprintf(stderr,"input image has PNM format\n");
             textureSize=pnmGetTextureSize(progname,new_image);
             textureBytes=(unsigned char*)malloc(textureSize);
             pnmReadTextureBytes(progname,new_image,textureBytes,&width,&height);
         break;
+#endif
         default: // UNKNOWN
             fprintf(stderr,"%s: unknown file format\n",new_image);
             exit(-1);
@@ -352,14 +360,16 @@ void OpenGLCanvas::initializeGL(){
     glDepthFunc(GL_LEQUAL);
     glHint(GL_PERSPECTIVE_CORRECTION_HINT,GL_NICEST);
 
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
 #ifdef __APPLE__
     const char * const progname = "PROJ_ROOT_DIR";
 #else
     // progname is a file name or a path???
     const char * const progname = (char*)(PROGNAME);
 #endif
-
     fprintf(stderr,"progname=%s\n",progname);
+#endif // MSC_VER
+
     read_config_file();
     // If the input file does not exist or was not specified.
     struct stat testbuf;
@@ -599,6 +609,7 @@ void OpenGLCanvas::define_triangle_indices(unsigned int * indices, int m, int n)
 
 }
 
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
 int OpenGLCanvas::pnmGetTextureSize(const char * const progname, const char * texturePath)
 {
     struct pam inpam;
@@ -657,6 +668,7 @@ void OpenGLCanvas::pnmReadTextureBytes(const char * const progname,
 
         pm_close(in_file);
 }
+#endif
 
 int OpenGLCanvas::jpgGetTextureSize(const char *texturePath)
 {
diff --git a/openglcanvas.h b/openglcanvas.h
index da6c950867e92c86422246ff176a030496470f6b..522b81d6a41a84357c48f3e02a1d34cba7a283b7 100644
--- a/openglcanvas.h
+++ b/openglcanvas.h
@@ -35,11 +35,13 @@
 #endif
 #include "chronos.h"
 
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
 extern "C" {
 #include <ppm.h>
 #include <pm.h>
 #include <pam.h>
 }
+#endif
 
 #include <jpeglib.h>
 
@@ -66,8 +68,10 @@ protected:
     void load_sphere_mesh(float *positions, int m, int n);
     float calculate_extent(float fov_rads);
     void define_triangle_indices(unsigned int * indices, int m, int n);
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
     int pnmGetTextureSize(const char *const progname, const char *texturePath);
     void pnmReadTextureBytes(const char *const progname, const char *texturePath,unsigned char *textureBytes,int *outImageWidth,int *outImageHeight);
+#endif
     int jpgGetTextureSize(const char *texturePath);
     void jpgReadTextureBytes(const char *texturePath,unsigned char *textureBytes,int *outImageWidth,int *outImageHeight);
     char *textFileRead(char *fn);
diff --git a/pano_interface_1.pro b/pano_interface_1.pro
index abe3bf743d318894fc0f1a065f6d39becaeb18c1..49afce79839456bccba58e1d00e7d299f6bbba9b 100644
--- a/pano_interface_1.pro
+++ b/pano_interface_1.pro
@@ -45,17 +45,18 @@ LIBS += -lm -lglut -lGL -lGLEW -lnetpbm -ljpeg
 
 win32 {
 DEFINES += GLEW_STATIC
-INCLUDEPATH += "C:/Program Files (x86)/glew-1.9.0/include"
-DEPENDPATH += "C:/Program Files (x86)/glew-1.9.0/include"
-INCLUDEPATH += "C:/Program Files (x86)/freeglut/include"
-DEPENDPATH += "C:/Program Files (x86)/freeglut/include"
-INCLUDEPATH += "C:/Program Files (x86)/GnuWin32/include"
-DEPENDPATH += "C:/Program Files (x86)/GnuWin32/include"
-LIBS += -L"C:/Program Files (x86)/freeglut/lib"
-LIBS += -L"C:/Program Files (x86)/GnuWin32/lib"
-LIBS += -L"C:/Program Files (x86)/GnuWin32/bin"
-LIBS += -L"C:/Program Files (x86)/glew-1.9.0/lib"
-LIBS += -lglew32s -lfreeglut -lglu32 -lopengl32 -llibnetpbm10
+PFROOT = "C:/Program Files"
+INCLUDEPATH += $${PFROOT}/glew-1.9.0/include
+DEPENDPATH += $${PFROOT}/glew-1.9.0/include
+INCLUDEPATH += $${PFROOT}/freeglut/include
+DEPENDPATH += $${PFROOT}/freeglut/include
+INCLUDEPATH += $${PFROOT}/GnuWin32/include
+DEPENDPATH += $${PFROOT}/GnuWin32/include
+LIBS += -L$${PFROOT}/freeglut/lib
+LIBS += -L$${PFROOT}/GnuWin32/lib
+LIBS += -L$${PFROOT}/GnuWin32/bin
+LIBS += -L$${PFROOT}/glew-1.9.0/lib
+LIBS += -lglew32s -lfreeglut -lglu32 -lopengl32 -ljpeg #-llibnetpbm10
 }
 
 TARGET = pano_interface_1