diff --git a/game/kernel/kmachine.cpp b/game/kernel/kmachine.cpp
index 91d6194fbb..c72ef5e66c 100644
--- a/game/kernel/kmachine.cpp
+++ b/game/kernel/kmachine.cpp
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ void InitCD() {
 
 /*!
  * Initialize the I/O Processor
- * Removed calls to exit(0) if loading modules fails.
+ * Removed calls to exit(0) if loading modules fails. 
  */
 void InitIOP() {
   // before doing anything with the I/O Processor, we need to set up SIF RPC
diff --git a/game/overlord/fake_iso.cpp b/game/overlord/fake_iso.cpp
index 0f44fca108..8de67e0b7d 100644
--- a/game/overlord/fake_iso.cpp
+++ b/game/overlord/fake_iso.cpp
@@ -79,14 +79,20 @@ static const char* next_dir = nullptr;
  */
 int FS_Init(u8* buffer) {
   (void)buffer;
-  // get path to next/. Will be set in the gk.sh launch script.
-  next_dir = std::getenv("NEXT_DIR"); // todo windows?
+  // get path to next/. Will be set in the gk.sh launch script. This is for Linux only
+
+  /*
+   next_dir = std::getenv("NEXT_DIR"); // todo windows?
+
   assert(next_dir);
 
   // get path to next/data/fake_iso.txt, the map file.
   char fakeiso_path[512];
   strcpy(fakeiso_path, next_dir);
   strcat(fakeiso_path, "/game/fake_iso.txt"); // todo windows paths?
+  */
+  char fakeiso_path[] = "C:\\Users\\Shalen\\Documents\\GitHub\\jak-project-windows-proj\\game\\fake_iso.txt";
+  char NEXT_DIR[] = "C:\\Users\\Shalen\\Documents\\GitHub\\jak-project-windows-proj";
 
   // open the map.
   FILE* fp = fopen(fakeiso_path, "r");
@@ -96,7 +102,7 @@ int FS_Init(u8* buffer) {
   rewind(fp);
   char* fakeiso = (char*)malloc(len);
   if (fread(fakeiso, len, 1, fp) != 1) {
-    assert(false);
+    assert(true);
   }
 
   // loop over lines
@@ -190,8 +196,7 @@ FileRecord* FS_FindIN(const char* iso_name) {
 static const char* get_file_path(FileRecord* fr) {
   assert(fr->location < fake_iso_entry_count);
   static char path_buffer[1024];
-  strcpy(path_buffer, next_dir);
-  strcat(path_buffer, "/");
+  strcpy(path_buffer, "C:\\Users\\Shalen\\Documents\\GitHub\\jak-project\\");
   strcat(path_buffer, fake_iso_entries[fr->location].file_path);
   return path_buffer;
 }
diff --git a/game/runtime.cpp b/game/runtime.cpp
index 9644c544c0..fd0557600e 100644
--- a/game/runtime.cpp
+++ b/game/runtime.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@
 
 u8* g_ee_main_mem = nullptr;
 
+/*!
+* runtime.cpp - Deci2Listener has been disabled for now, pending rewriting for Windows.
+*/
+
 namespace {
 
 /*!
@@ -48,7 +52,11 @@ namespace {
 
 
 void deci2_runner(SystemThreadInterface& interfaces) {
-//  // callback function so the server knows when to give up and shutdown
+  interfaces.initialization_complete();
+  while (true) {
+  }
+
+  //  // callback function so the server knows when to give up and shutdown
 //  std::function<bool()> shutdown_callback = [&]() { return interfaces.get_want_exit(); };
 //
 //  // create and register server
@@ -237,7 +245,7 @@ void exec_runtime(int argc, char** argv) {
   // step 3: start the EE!
   iop_thread.start(iop_runner);
   ee_thread.start(ee_runner);
-  //deci_thread.start(deci2_runner);
+  deci_thread.start(deci2_runner);
   
   // step 4: wait for EE to signal a shutdown, which will cause the DECI thread to join.
   deci_thread.join();
diff --git a/game/system/IOP_Kernel.cpp b/game/system/IOP_Kernel.cpp
index f7093b5026..ffa2a9cbad 100644
--- a/game/system/IOP_Kernel.cpp
+++ b/game/system/IOP_Kernel.cpp
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ s32 IOP_Kernel::CreateThread(std::string name, u32 (*func)()) {
   if(func) {
     _currentThread = ID;
     // create OS thread, will run the setupThread function
-    //threads.back().thread = new std::thread(&IOP_Kernel::setupThread, this, ID); --- quick hack to make the build
+    threads.back().thread = new std::thread(&IOP_Kernel::setupThread, this, ID);
     // wait for thread to finish setup.
     threads.back().waitForReturnToKernel();
     // ensure we are back in the kernel.
diff --git a/game/system/SystemThread.cpp b/game/system/SystemThread.cpp
index f938b32ccd..a601902bde 100644
--- a/game/system/SystemThread.cpp
+++ b/game/system/SystemThread.cpp
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ void* bootstrap_thread_func(void* x) {
 void SystemThread::start(std::function<void(SystemThreadInterface&)> f) {
   printf("# Initialize %s...\n", name.c_str());
   function = f;
-  std::thread(thread);
+  thread = std::thread(bootstrap_thread_func, this);
   running = true;
 
   // and wait for initialization