diff --git a/src/caustics/io.py b/src/caustics/io.py
index d5a146a8..ddb517c1 100644
--- a/src/caustics/io.py
+++ b/src/caustics/io.py
@@ -44,7 +44,9 @@ def to_file(
     # Normalize path to pathlib.Path object
     path = _normalize_path(path)
 
-    path.write_bytes(data)
+    with open(path, "wb") as f:
+        f.write(data)
+
     return str(path.absolute())
 
 
diff --git a/src/caustics/sims/state_dict.py b/src/caustics/sims/state_dict.py
index 66bcade0..49e26df3 100644
--- a/src/caustics/sims/state_dict.py
+++ b/src/caustics/sims/state_dict.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from typing import Any, Dict, Optional
 from pathlib import Path
-import os
 
 from torch import Tensor
 import torch
@@ -185,7 +184,7 @@ def save(self, file_path: Optional[str] = None) -> str:
             The final path of the saved file
         """
         if not file_path:
-            file_path = Path(os.path.curdir) / self.__st_file
+            file_path = Path.cwd() / self.__st_file
         elif isinstance(file_path, str):
             file_path = Path(file_path)
 
diff --git a/tests/sims/test_simulator.py b/tests/sims/test_simulator.py
index 1a5d528b..e6adc2be 100644
--- a/tests/sims/test_simulator.py
+++ b/tests/sims/test_simulator.py
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ def test_set_module_params(self, simple_common_sim):
         assert simple_common_sim.param1 == params["param1"]
         assert simple_common_sim.param2 == params["param2"]
 
+    @pytest.mark.skipif(
+        sys.platform.startswith("win"),
+        reason="Built-in open has different behavior on Windows",
+    )
     def test_load_state_dict(self, simple_common_sim):
         fpath = simple_common_sim.state_dict().save()
         loaded_state_dict = StateDict.load(fpath)
@@ -65,6 +69,5 @@ def test_load_state_dict(self, simple_common_sim):
             == simple_common_sim.z_s.value
         )
 
-        # Cleanup after only for non-windows
-        if not sys.platform.startswith("win"):
-            Path(fpath).unlink(missing_ok=True)
+        # Cleanup after
+        Path(fpath).unlink()
diff --git a/tests/sims/test_state_dict.py b/tests/sims/test_state_dict.py
index ae420770..4d15591d 100644
--- a/tests/sims/test_state_dict.py
+++ b/tests/sims/test_state_dict.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
-import os
 import sys
 
 import pytest
@@ -136,17 +135,20 @@ def test_st_file_string(self, simple_state_dict):
 
         assert simple_state_dict._StateDict__st_file == expected_file
 
+    @pytest.mark.skipif(
+        sys.platform.startswith("win"),
+        reason="Built-in open has different behavior on Windows",
+    )
     def test_save(self, simple_state_dict):
         # Check for default save path
-        expected_fpath = Path(os.path.curdir) / simple_state_dict._StateDict__st_file
+        expected_fpath = Path.cwd() / simple_state_dict._StateDict__st_file
         default_fpath = simple_state_dict.save()
 
         assert Path(default_fpath).exists()
         assert default_fpath == str(expected_fpath.absolute())
 
-        # Cleanup after only for non-windows
-        if not sys.platform.startswith("win"):
-            Path(default_fpath).unlink(missing_ok=True)
+        # Cleanup after
+        Path(default_fpath).unlink()
 
         # Check for specified save path
         with TemporaryDirectory() as tempdir:
@@ -163,11 +165,14 @@ def test_save(self, simple_state_dict):
             with pytest.raises(ValueError):
                 saved_path = simple_state_dict.save(str(wrong_fpath.absolute()))
 
+    @pytest.mark.skipif(
+        sys.platform.startswith("win"),
+        reason="Built-in open has different behavior on Windows",
+    )
     def test_load(self, simple_state_dict):
         fpath = simple_state_dict.save()
         loaded_state_dict = StateDict.load(fpath)
         assert loaded_state_dict == simple_state_dict
 
-        # Cleanup after only for non-windows
-        if not sys.platform.startswith("win"):
-            Path(fpath).unlink(missing_ok=True)
+        # Cleanup after
+        Path(fpath).unlink()
diff --git a/tests/test_io.py b/tests/test_io.py
index 18d56bfc..d3116b7c 100644
--- a/tests/test_io.py
+++ b/tests/test_io.py
@@ -14,16 +14,16 @@
 
 
 def test_normalize_path():
+    path_obj = Path().joinpath("path", "to", "file.txt")
     # Test with a string path
-    path_str = "/path/to/file.txt"
+    path_str = str(path_obj)
     normalized_path = _normalize_path(path_str)
-    assert normalized_path == Path(path_str)
-    assert str(normalized_path), path_str
+    assert normalized_path == path_obj.absolute()
+    assert str(normalized_path) == str(path_obj.absolute())
 
     # Test with a Path object
-    path_obj = Path("/path/to/file.txt")
     normalized_path = _normalize_path(path_obj)
-    assert normalized_path == path_obj
+    assert normalized_path == path_obj.absolute()
 
 
 def test_to_and_from_file():