diff --git a/redo/init_windows.c b/redo/init_windows.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad3124c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/redo/init_windows.c
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/* 17 july 2014 */
+
+#include "winapi_windows.h"
+
+HINSTANCE hInstnace;
+int nCmdShow;
+
+HICON hDefaultIcon;
+HCURSOR hArrowCursor;
+
+DWORD initWindows(char **errmsg)
+{
+	STARTUPINFOW si;
+
+	/* WinMain() parameters */
+	hInstance = GetModuleHandleW(NULL);
+	if (hInstance == NULL) {
+		*errmsg = "error getting hInstance";
+		return GetLastError();
+	}
+	nCmdShow = SW_SHOWDEFAULT;
+	GetStartupInfoW(&si);
+	if ((si.dwFlags & STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW) != 0)
+		nCmdShow = si.wShowWindow;
+
+	/* icons and cursors */
+	hDefaultIcon = LoadIconW(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);
+	if (hDefaultIcon == NULL) {
+		*errmsg = "error loading default icon";
+		return GetLastError();
+	}
+	hDefaultCursor = LoadCursorW(NULL, IDC_ARROW);
+	if (hArrowCursor == NULL) {
+		*errmsg = "error loading arrow (default) cursor";
+		return GetLastError();
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/redo/init_windows.go b/redo/init_windows.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 1ce0e65..0000000
--- a/redo/init_windows.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,58 +0,0 @@
-// 11 july 2014
-
-package ui
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-)
-
-var (
-	hInstance uintptr
-	nCmdShow int
-
-	hDefaultIcon uintptr
-	hArrowCursor uintptr
-)
-
-func getWinMainParams() (err error) {
-	hInstance, err = f_GetModuleHandleW(nil)
-	if hInstance == 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error getting hInstance: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	var info s_STARTUPINFOW
-
-	f_GetStartupInfoW(&info)
-	if info.dwFlags & c_STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW != 0 {
-		nCmdShow = int(info.wShowWindow)
-	} else {
-		nCmdShow = c_SW_SHOWDEFAULT
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
-// TODO move to common_windows.go
-var hNULL uintptr = 0
-
-func loadIconsCursors() (err error) {
-	hDefaultIcon, err = f_LoadIconW(hNULL, c_IDI_APPLICATION)
-	if hDefaultIcon == hNULL {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error loading default icon: %v", err)
-	}
-	hArrowCursor, err = f_LoadCursorW(hNULL, c_IDC_ARROW)
-	if hArrowCursor == hNULL {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error loading arrow (default) cursor: %v", err)
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
-func initWindows() error {
-	if err := getWinMainParams(); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error getting WinMain() parameters: %v", err)
-	}
-	if err := loadIconsCursors(); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error loading standard/default icons and cursors: %v", err)
-	}
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/redo/uitask_windows.go b/redo/uitask_windows.go
index 69d6906..ccb3fdb 100644
--- a/redo/uitask_windows.go
+++ b/redo/uitask_windows.go
@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@ import "C"
 var msgwin C.HWND
 
 func uiinit() error {
-	if err := initWindows(); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error initializing package ui on Windows: %v", err)
+	var errmsg *C.char
+
+	errcode := C.initWindows(&errmsg)
+	if errcode != 0 || errmsg != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error initializing package ui on Windows: %s: %v", C.GoString(errmsg), syscall.Errno(errcode))
 	}
 	if err := initCommonControls(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error initializing comctl32.dll version 6: %v", err)
diff --git a/redo/winapi_windows.h b/redo/winapi_windows.h
index ea3c745..e99cf86 100644
--- a/redo/winapi_windows.h
+++ b/redo/winapi_windows.h
@@ -38,3 +38,10 @@ extern HWND newWidget(LPCWSTR, DWORD, DWORD);
 extern void controlSetParent(HWND, HWND);
 extern LRESULT forwardCommand(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);
 extern void setButtonSubclass(HWND, void *);
+
+/* init_windows.c */
+extern HINSTANCE hInstnace;
+extern int nCmdShow;
+extern HICON hDefaultIcon;
+extern HCURSOR hArrowCursor;
+extern DWORD initWindows(char **);