diff --git a/core/io/files/files.factor b/core/io/files/files.factor
index 1dd4259bb6..03bcb77731 100755
--- a/core/io/files/files.factor
+++ b/core/io/files/files.factor
@@ -126,3 +126,17 @@ TUPLE: pathname string ;
 C: <pathname> pathname
 
 M: pathname <=> [ pathname-string ] compare ;
+
+HOOK: library-roots io-backend ( -- seq )
+HOOK: binary-roots io-backend ( -- seq )
+
+: find-file ( seq str -- path/f )
+    [
+        [ path+ exists? ] curry find nip
+    ] keep over [ path+ ] [ drop ] if ;
+
+: find-library ( str -- path/f )
+    library-roots swap find-file ;
+
+: find-binary ( str -- path/f )
+    binary-roots swap find-file ;
diff --git a/extra/io/windows/windows.factor b/extra/io/windows/windows.factor
index d112a99cae..2defa48298 100755
--- a/extra/io/windows/windows.factor
+++ b/extra/io/windows/windows.factor
@@ -4,13 +4,23 @@ USING: alien alien.c-types arrays destructors io io.backend
 io.buffers io.files io.nonblocking io.sockets io.binary
 io.sockets.impl windows.errors strings io.streams.duplex kernel
 math namespaces sequences windows windows.kernel32
-windows.winsock splitting ;
+windows.shell32 windows.winsock splitting ;
 IN: io.windows
 
 TUPLE: windows-nt-io ;
 TUPLE: windows-ce-io ;
 UNION: windows-io windows-nt-io windows-ce-io ;
 
+M: windows-io library-roots ( -- seq )
+    [
+        windows ,
+    ] { } make ;
+
+M: windows-io binary-roots ( -- seq )
+    [
+        windows ,
+    ] { } make ;
+
 M: windows-io destruct-handle CloseHandle drop ;
 
 M: windows-io destruct-socket closesocket drop ;