diff --git a/Library/ConfigParser.cpp b/Library/ConfigParser.cpp
index f10baa3d..08b41b69 100644
--- a/Library/ConfigParser.cpp
+++ b/Library/ConfigParser.cpp
@@ -600,17 +600,13 @@ const std::wstring& CConfigParser::ReadString(LPCTSTR section, LPCTSTR key, LPCT
 		{
 			if ((*iter).size() > 0)
 			{
-				std::wstring strSection = (*iter);
-
-				std::wstring::size_type pos = strSection.find_first_not_of(L" \t\r\n");
+				std::wstring::size_type pos = (*iter).find_first_not_of(L" \t\r\n");
 				if (pos != std::wstring::npos)
 				{
-					std::wstring::size_type lastPos = strSection.find_last_not_of(L" \t\r\n");
-					if (pos != 0 || lastPos != (strSection.length() - 1))
-					{
-						// Trim white-space
-						strSection.swap(std::wstring(strSection, pos, lastPos - pos + 1));
-					}
+					std::wstring::size_type lastPos = (*iter).find_last_not_of(L" \t\r\n");
+
+					// Trim white-space
+					std::wstring strSection((*iter), pos, lastPos - pos + 1);
 
 					const std::wstring& strStyle = GetValue(strSection, key, strDefault);
 
@@ -1147,7 +1143,7 @@ void CConfigParser::ReadIniFile(const std::vector<std::wstring>& iniFileMappings
 				if (sep != std::wstring::npos && sep != 0)
 				{
 					std::wstring value = key.substr(sep + 1, len - sep);
-					key.resize(sep);
+					key.erase(sep);
 
 					std::wstring lowerKey = StrToLower(key);
 					if (foundKeys.insert(lowerKey).second)
@@ -1159,7 +1155,7 @@ void CConfigParser::ReadIniFile(const std::vector<std::wstring>& iniFileMappings
 							(value[0] == L'\'' && value[valueLen - 1] == L'\'')))
 						{
 							valueLen -= 2;
-							value.swap(value.substr(1, valueLen));
+							value.assign(value, 1, valueLen);
 						}
 
 						if (wcsncmp(lowerKey.c_str(), L"@include", 8) == 0)
diff --git a/Library/Group.cpp b/Library/Group.cpp
index cb8dede0..faeeceb6 100644
--- a/Library/Group.cpp
+++ b/Library/Group.cpp
@@ -67,15 +67,9 @@ std::wstring CGroup::CreateGroup(const std::wstring& str)
 	if (pos != std::wstring::npos)
 	{
 		std::wstring::size_type lastPos = str.find_last_not_of(L" \t\r\n");
-		if (pos != 0 || lastPos != (str.length() - 1))
-		{
-			// Trim white-space
-			strTmp.swap(std::wstring(str, pos, lastPos - pos + 1));
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			strTmp = str;
-		}
+
+		// Trim white-space
+		strTmp.assign(str, pos, lastPos - pos + 1);
 
 		// Convert to lower
 		std::transform(strTmp.begin(), strTmp.end(), strTmp.begin(), ::towlower);
diff --git a/Library/Litestep.cpp b/Library/Litestep.cpp
index 23827fa6..be006e82 100644
--- a/Library/Litestep.cpp
+++ b/Library/Litestep.cpp
@@ -344,12 +344,12 @@ HINSTANCE ExecuteCommand(HWND Owner, LPCTSTR szCommand, int nShowCmd, LPCTSTR sz
 		size_t quotePos2 = command.find(L"\"", quotePos + 1);
 		if (quotePos2 != std::wstring::npos)
 		{
-			args = command.substr(quotePos2 + 1);
-			command = command.substr(quotePos + 1, quotePos2 - quotePos - 1);
+			args.assign(command, quotePos2 + 1, command.length() - (quotePos2 + 1));
+			command.assign(command, quotePos + 1, quotePos2 - quotePos - 1);
 		}
 		else
 		{
-			command.erase(0, quotePos + 1);
+			command.erase(0, 1);
 		}
 	}
 	else
@@ -357,8 +357,8 @@ HINSTANCE ExecuteCommand(HWND Owner, LPCTSTR szCommand, int nShowCmd, LPCTSTR sz
 		size_t spacePos = command.find(L" ");
 		if (spacePos != std::wstring::npos)
 		{
-			args = command.substr(spacePos + 1);
-			command = command.substr(0, spacePos);
+			args.assign(command, spacePos + 1, command.length() - (spacePos + 1));
+			command.erase(spacePos);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/Library/Measure.cpp b/Library/Measure.cpp
index ca5e001d..6d45715a 100644
--- a/Library/Measure.cpp
+++ b/Library/Measure.cpp
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ std::wstring CMeasure::ExtractWord(std::wstring& buffer)
 
 			if (end != std::wstring::npos)
 			{
-				ret = buffer.substr(1, end - 1);
+				ret.assign(buffer, 1, end - 1);
 				++end;
 			}
 			else
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ std::wstring CMeasure::ExtractWord(std::wstring& buffer)
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				ret = buffer.substr(0, ++end);	// The separator is also returned!
+				ret.assign(buffer, 0, ++end);	// The separator is also returned!
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/Library/MeterWindow.cpp b/Library/MeterWindow.cpp
index 2c0f7be6..b2fa75c4 100644
--- a/Library/MeterWindow.cpp
+++ b/Library/MeterWindow.cpp
@@ -933,7 +933,7 @@ void CMeterWindow::RunBang(BANGCOMMAND bang, const WCHAR* arg)
 			pos3 = args.find(L' ');
 			if (pos3 != std::wstring::npos)
 			{
-				measure = args.substr(0, pos3);
+				measure.assign(args, 0, pos3);
 				args.erase(0, ++pos3);
 
 				CMeasure* m = GetMeasure(measure);
@@ -970,7 +970,7 @@ void CMeterWindow::RunBang(BANGCOMMAND bang, const WCHAR* arg)
 			pos3 = args.find(L' ');
 			if (pos3 != std::wstring::npos)
 			{
-				measure = args.substr(0, pos3);
+				measure.assign(args, 0, pos3);
 				++pos3;
 			}
 			else
@@ -4992,7 +4992,7 @@ LRESULT CMeterWindow::OnCopyData(UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
 		std::wstring::size_type pos = str.find(' ');
 		if (pos != std::wstring::npos)
 		{
-			bang = str.substr(0, pos);
+			bang.assign(str, 0, pos);
 			str.erase(0, pos + 1);
 			arg = str;
 		}
diff --git a/Library/Rainmeter.cpp b/Library/Rainmeter.cpp
index e05a4033..56613ed1 100644
--- a/Library/Rainmeter.cpp
+++ b/Library/Rainmeter.cpp
@@ -1746,7 +1746,7 @@ int CRainmeter::Initialize(HWND Parent, HINSTANCE Instance, LPCSTR szPath)
 			}
 			else if (iniFile[iniFile.length() - 1] == L'\"')
 			{
-				iniFile = iniFile.substr(1, iniFile.length() - 2);
+				iniFile.assign(iniFile, 1, iniFile.length() - 2);
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -1777,14 +1777,13 @@ int CRainmeter::Initialize(HWND Parent, HINSTANCE Instance, LPCSTR szPath)
 		bDefaultIniLocation = true;
 	}
 
-	// Set the log file location
+	// Set the log file and stats file location
 	m_LogFile = m_StatsFile = m_IniFile;
 	size_t logFileLen = m_LogFile.length();
 	if (logFileLen > 4 && _wcsicmp(m_LogFile.substr(logFileLen - 4).c_str(), L".ini") == 0)
 	{
 		m_LogFile.replace(logFileLen - 4, 4, L".log");
-		m_StatsFile.replace(logFileLen - 4, 4, L".sta");
-		m_StatsFile += L"ts";
+		m_StatsFile.replace(logFileLen - 4, 4, L".stats");
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -1910,7 +1909,7 @@ int CRainmeter::Initialize(HWND Parent, HINSTANCE Instance, LPCSTR szPath)
 	std::wstring::size_type loc;
 	if ((loc = m_Path.find_first_of(L':')) != std::wstring::npos)
 	{
-		m_Drive = m_Path.substr(0, loc + 1);
+		m_Drive.assign(m_Path, 0, loc + 1);
 	}
 	else if (m_Path.length() >= 2 && (m_Path[0] == L'\\' || m_Path[0] == L'/') && (m_Path[1] == L'\\' || m_Path[1] == L'/'))
 	{
@@ -1922,7 +1921,7 @@ int CRainmeter::Initialize(HWND Parent, HINSTANCE Instance, LPCSTR szPath)
 				loc = loc2;
 			}
 		}
-		m_Drive = m_Path.substr(0, loc);
+		m_Drive.assign(m_Path, 0, loc);
 	}
 
 	// Test that the Rainmeter.ini file is writable
@@ -3224,7 +3223,8 @@ void CRainmeter::ExecuteCommand(const WCHAR* command, CMeterWindow* meterWindow)
 				std::wstring::size_type len = strCommand.length();
 				if (len >= 2 && strCommand[0] == L'\"' && strCommand[len - 1] == L'\"')
 				{
-					strCommand.swap(strCommand.substr(1, len - 2));
+					len -= 2;
+					strCommand.assign(strCommand, 1, len);
 				}
 
 				PlaySound(strCommand.c_str(), NULL, flags);
@@ -3255,7 +3255,7 @@ void CRainmeter::ExecuteCommand(const WCHAR* command, CMeterWindow* meterWindow)
 				size_t pos = strCommand.find(L' ');
 				if (pos != std::wstring::npos)
 				{
-					bang = strCommand.substr(0, pos);
+					bang.assign(strCommand, 0, pos);
 					strCommand.erase(0, pos + 1);
 					arg = strCommand;
 				}
@@ -3753,7 +3753,7 @@ void CRainmeter::ResetStats()
 	time(&long_time);
 	newtime = localtime(&long_time);
 	m_StatsDate = _wasctime(newtime);
-	m_StatsDate.resize(m_StatsDate.size() - 1);
+	m_StatsDate.erase(m_StatsDate.size() - 1);
 
 	// Only Net measure has stats at the moment
 	CMeasureNet::ResetStats();
diff --git a/Library/System.cpp b/Library/System.cpp
index a0f2b476..7d1bacd3 100644
--- a/Library/System.cpp
+++ b/Library/System.cpp
@@ -1168,7 +1168,7 @@ std::wstring CSystem::GetTemporaryFile(const std::vector<std::wstring>& iniFileM
 
 		if (pos != std::wstring::npos)
 		{
-			filename = iniFile.substr(pos + 1);
+			filename.assign(iniFile, pos + 1, iniFile.length() - (pos + 1));
 		}
 		else
 		{
diff --git a/Plugins/PluginWebParser/WebParser.cpp b/Plugins/PluginWebParser/WebParser.cpp
index cf391bb8..a5e1d0ec 100644
--- a/Plugins/PluginWebParser/WebParser.cpp
+++ b/Plugins/PluginWebParser/WebParser.cpp
@@ -1206,7 +1206,7 @@ unsigned __stdcall NetworkDownloadThreadProc(void* pParam)
 			std::wstring::size_type pos = path.find_first_not_of(L'\\');
 			if (pos != std::wstring::npos)
 			{
-				path = path.substr(pos);
+				path.erase(0, pos);
 			}
 
 			PathCanonicalize(buffer, urlData->iniFile.substr(0, urlData->iniFile.find_last_of(L'\\') + 1).c_str());  // "#CURRENTPATH#"
@@ -1241,11 +1241,11 @@ unsigned __stdcall NetworkDownloadThreadProc(void* pParam)
 			std::wstring name;
 			if (pos2 != std::wstring::npos)
 			{
-				name = url.substr(pos1, pos2 - pos1);
+				name.assign(url, pos1, pos2 - pos1);
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				name = url.substr(pos1);
+				name.assign(url, pos1, url.length() - pos1);
 			}
 
 			if (!name.empty())
@@ -1319,8 +1319,8 @@ unsigned __stdcall NetworkDownloadThreadProc(void* pParam)
 				std::wstring path, ext;
 				if (pos != std::wstring::npos)
 				{
-					path = fullpath.substr(0, pos);
-					ext = fullpath.substr(pos);
+					path.assign(fullpath, 0, pos);
+					ext.assign(fullpath, pos, fullpath.length() - pos);
 				}
 				else
 				{