diff --git a/packaging/win32/Makefile.am b/packaging/win32/Makefile.am
index 2b9c07d406..831420bff7 100644
--- a/packaging/win32/Makefile.am
+++ b/packaging/win32/Makefile.am
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
   dist.sh \
   exetype.pl \
   functions.sh \
+  getperl.vbs \
+  gnc-path-check \
   goffice-0.7.2-patch.diff \
   gwenhywfar-3.6.0-patch.diff \
   install.sh \
diff --git a/packaging/win32/dist-impl.sh b/packaging/win32/dist-impl.sh
index 1d79428daf..181c5c6f4c 100755
--- a/packaging/win32/dist-impl.sh
+++ b/packaging/win32/dist-impl.sh
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ function dist_gnucash() {
     cp -a $_INSTALL_UDIR/lib/lib*.la $DIST_UDIR/bin
     mkdir -p $DIST_UDIR/share
     cp -a $_INSTALL_UDIR/share/{doc,gnucash,locale} $DIST_UDIR/share
-    cp -a $_REPOS_UDIR/packaging/win32/install-fq-mods.cmd $DIST_UDIR/bin
+    cp -a $_REPOS_UDIR/packaging/win32/{getperl.vbs,gnc-path-check,install-fq-mods.cmd} $DIST_UDIR/bin
 
     _QTDIR_WIN=$(unix_path $QTDIR | sed 's,^/\([A-Za-z]\)/,\1:/,g' )
     if [ "$AQBANKING5" != "yes" ] ; then
diff --git a/packaging/win32/getperl.vbs b/packaging/win32/getperl.vbs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b2b5fe9bdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/win32/getperl.vbs
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+'   script to download perl install file and save on local disc
+'   the location of which is provided by first argument 
+
+
+Const WindowsFolder = 0
+Const SystemFolder = 1
+Const TemporaryFolder = 2
+Dim fso: Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
+Dim tempFolder: tempFolder = fso.GetSpecialFolder(TemporaryFolder)
+
+strHDLocation = Wscript.Arguments.Item(0)
+
+' Set your settings
+    strFileURL    = "http://strawberry-perl.googlecode.com/files/strawberry-perl-5.12.3.0.msi"
+
+    Wscript.Echo "   copying " & strFileURL
+    Wscript.Echo "   to "  & strHDLocation
+     
+
+' Fetch the file
+    Set objXMLHTTP = CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP")
+
+    objXMLHTTP.open "GET", strFileURL, false
+    objXMLHTTP.send()
+
+If objXMLHTTP.Status = 200 Then
+   Set objADOStream = CreateObject("ADODB.Stream")
+   objADOStream.Open
+   objADOStream.Type = 1 'adTypeBinary
+
+   objADOStream.Write objXMLHTTP.ResponseBody
+   objADOStream.Position = 0    'Set the stream position to the start
+
+   Set objFSO = Createobject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
+   If objFSO.Fileexists(strHDLocation) Then objFSO.DeleteFile strHDLocation
+
+   objADOStream.SaveToFile strHDLocation
+   objADOStream.Close
+   Set objADOStream = Nothing
+   If objFSO.Fileexists(strHDLocation) Then 
+      Wscript.Echo " "
+      Wscript.Echo "   " & strHDLocation & " downloaded OK"
+      Wscript.Echo " "
+      Set objFSO = Nothing
+      wscript.quit 0
+  End if
+End if
+
+wscript.quit 1
diff --git a/packaging/win32/gnc-path-check b/packaging/win32/gnc-path-check
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1dc1661964
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/win32/gnc-path-check
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#!/bin/perl -w
+######################################################################
+### gnc-path-check - verify the windows path
+###
+### This script verifies the window path. It is used to check for an error
+### condition identified in Bug 657117  
+###   (https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=657117)
+### 
+### Verifying that all directies in the path environment will avoid
+### the glib bug conditioned identified bug 670233. 
+###  
+### Copyright © Dave Roberts  2012 (droberts@cpan.org)
+### 
+### This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or    
+### modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as   
+### published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of   
+### the License, or (at your option) any later version.              
+###                                                                  
+### This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,  
+### but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of   
+### MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the    
+### GNU General Public License for more details.                     
+###                                                                  
+### You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+### along with this program# if not, contact:
+###
+### Free Software Foundation           Voice:  +1-617-542-5942
+### 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor    Fax:    +1-617-542-2652
+### Boston, MA  02110-1301,  USA       gnu@gnu.org
+######################################################################
+
+use strict;
+use English;
+use Win32;
+
+# Input: <none>
+#
+# Output:
+#
+# A list of directory names in the PATH that are not valid. The normal
+# output (no error found) is nothing.
+#
+# Exit status
+#
+# 0 - success
+# non-zero - failure - number of invalid directories found
+
+my $path   =  Win32::ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%Path%");
+my(@path)  = split(/;/,$path);
+my($error) = 0;
+my($msg) = << "EOT";
+
+The following directory name(s) were found in the PATH environment
+which are invalid. This may cause the Finance Quote function to fail
+depending on the order of directories in the PATH. Please correct the 
+system PATH variable.
+
+EOT
+
+foreach my $_ (@path){
+   my($dir) = Win32::ExpandEnvironmentStrings("$_");
+   unless (-d $dir){
+      $msg .= "   $dir\n";
+      $error++;
+   }
+}
+if ($error){
+   print STDERR $msg;
+}
+exit $error;
+
diff --git a/packaging/win32/install-fq-mods.cmd b/packaging/win32/install-fq-mods.cmd
index 1c35b21d01..44d1a2c8a4 100644
--- a/packaging/win32/install-fq-mods.cmd
+++ b/packaging/win32/install-fq-mods.cmd
@@ -1,16 +1,67 @@
 @echo off
 setlocal
-
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 if not exist ssleay32.dll (
   echo.
   echo Did not find ssleay32.dll in current directory.
   echo Please start this cmd file in the bin directory created by the setup.exe.
   goto error
 )
-
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 echo.
 echo * Check Perl
 echo.
+perl -v > NUL 2>&1 
+if %errorlevel% equ 0 goto chkver
+echo. 
+echo   no perl executable found
+echo. 
+echo Now finding and installing perl.....
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+echo.
+echo   * download Strawberry perl
+echo.
+call cscript//nologo getperl.vbs %TEMP%\Perl.msi
+if %errorlevel% equ 0 goto donegetperl
+   echo   Return Value: "%errorlevel%"
+   echo.
+   echo   failed to download perl install file
+   echo.
+   goto error
+:donegetperl
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+echo.
+echo   * automated Perl install
+echo.
+msiexec /qb /l* %TEMP%\perl-log.txt /i %TEMP%\Perl.msi PERL_PATH=Yes PERL_EXT=Yes
+if %errorlevel% equ 0 goto doneperlinst
+   echo   Return Value: "%errorlevel%"
+   echo.
+   echo   failed to install perl (%TEMP%\Perl.msi)
+   echo.
+   goto error
+:doneperlinst
+perl -v
+del  %TEMP%\Perl.msi
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+echo.
+echo   * updating PATH variable to include Perl 
+echo.
+:: delims is a TAB followed by a space
+FOR /F "tokens=2* delims=	 " %%A IN ('REG QUERY "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment" /v Path') DO SET NewPath=%%B
+ECHO NewPath = %NewPath%
+set Path="%NewPath%"
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+echo.
+echo * Run gnc-fq-update
+echo.
+perl -w gnc-fq-update
+if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto error
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+:chkver
+echo.
+echo * Check Perl Version
+echo.
 perl -e "exit(int($]));"
 set _perlmajor=%errorlevel%
 perl -e "$ver=1000*sprintf(\"%%.3f\", $]); exit(int($ver)-5000);"
@@ -34,21 +85,54 @@ echo Did not find a usable perl.
 echo Please install ActivePerl 5.8, or above (http://www.activestate.com/store/activeperl)
 echo and add the bin directory to your Path environment variable.
 goto error
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 :ccp
-
+echo.
+echo * Test for ActivePerl
+echo.
+perl -e "use Win32;if(defined &Win32::BuildNumber){exit 2;}else{exit 3;};"
+REM echo status = %errorlevel%
+if %errorlevel% equ 2 (
+set bld=AS
+goto pchk
+)else if %errorlevel% equ 3 (
+set bld=Other
+goto pchk
+)
+if %errorlevel% equ 0 goto pchk
+goto error
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+:pchk
+REM echo.
+REM echo * Run gnc-path-check
+REM echo.
+REM perl -w gnc-path-check
+REM if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto error
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 echo * Install DateManip
 echo.
+if "%bld%" equ "AS" (
 perl -x -S ppm install Date-Manip
 if %errorlevel% neq 0 (
   perl -x -S ppm install DateManip
   if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto error
 )
-
+)else if "%bld%" equ "Other" (
+perl -e "use strict;use CPAN;CPAN::Shell->install('Date::Manip');"
+if %errorlevel% neq 0 (
+echo   failed to install Date::Manip module
+goto error
+)
+)
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 echo.
 echo * Install Crypt-SSLeay
 echo.
-set OLDPATH=%PATH%
-set PATH=%CD%;%PATH%
+
+
+if "%bld%" equ "AS" (
+set OLDPATH="%PATH%"
+set PATH="%CD%;%PATH%"
 if %_perlversion% == 5.6 (
   perl -x -S ppm install http://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/ppmpackages/Crypt-SSLeay.ppd
 ) else if %_perlversion% == 5.8 (
@@ -57,36 +141,67 @@ if %_perlversion% == 5.6 (
   perl -x -S ppm install Crypt-SSLeay
 )
 set errlvlbak=%errorlevel%
-set PATH=%OLDPATH%
-if %errlvlbak% neq 0 goto error
-
+set PATH="%OLDPATH%"
+if "%errlvlbak%" neq "0" goto error
+)else if "%bld%" equ "Other" (
+echo using CPAN install for Crypt::SSLeay
+perl -e "use strict;use CPAN;CPAN::Shell->install('Crypt::SSLeay');"
+if %errorlevel% neq 0 (
+echo   failed to install Crypt::SSLeay module
+goto error
+)
+)
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+REM for some reason a CPAN install of Finance::Quote does not install prequisite
+REM package HTML::Treebuilder
+echo.
+echo * Install HTML-TreeBuilder
+echo.
+if "%bld%" equ "Other" (
+perl -e "use strict;use CPAN;CPAN::Shell->install('HTML::TreeBuilder');"
+if %errorlevel% neq 0 (
+echo   failed to install HTML::TreeBuilder module
+goto error
+)
+)
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 echo.
 echo * Install Finance-Quote
 echo.
+if "%bld%" equ "AS" (
 perl -x -S ppm install Finance-Quote
 if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto error
-
+)
+if "%bld%" equ "Other" (
+perl -e "use strict;use CPAN;CPAN::Shell->install('Finance::Quote');"
+if %errorlevel% neq 0 (
+echo   failed to install Finance::Quote module
+goto error
+)
+)
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 echo.
 echo * Run gnc-fq-check
 echo.
 perl -w gnc-fq-check
 if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto error
-
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 echo.
 echo * Run gnc-fq-helper
 echo.
 echo (yahoo "AMZN") | perl -w gnc-fq-helper
 if %errorlevel% neq 0 goto error
-
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 echo.
 echo * Installation succeeded
 echo.
 goto end
-
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 :error:
 echo.
 echo An error occurred, see above.
 echo.
-
+REM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 :end
 pause
+