diff --git a/res/appstore/Package.appxmanifest b/res/appstore/Package.appxmanifest
index 3f66dc9d..87af06ee 100644
--- a/res/appstore/Package.appxmanifest
+++ b/res/appstore/Package.appxmanifest
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
   <Identity
     Name="19453.net.Rufus"
     Publisher="CN=7AC86D13-3E5A-491A-ADD5-80095C212740"
-    Version="3.14.1768.0" />
+    Version="3.14.1769.0" />
 
   <Properties>
     <DisplayName>Rufus</DisplayName>
diff --git a/src/dos.c b/src/dos.c
index afa47877..55042cde 100644
--- a/src/dos.c
+++ b/src/dos.c
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ static BOOL ExtractMSDOS(const char* path)
 		goto out;
 	}
 	static_strcat(dllname, "\\diskcopy.dll");
-	hDLL = LoadLibraryA(dllname);
+	hDLL = LoadLibraryExA(dllname, NULL, LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_SYSTEM32);
 	if (hDLL == NULL) {
 		uprintf("Unable to open %s: %s\n", dllname, WindowsErrorString());
 		goto out;
diff --git a/src/msapi_utf8.h b/src/msapi_utf8.h
index 7f508833..e766d914 100644
--- a/src/msapi_utf8.h
+++ b/src/msapi_utf8.h
@@ -317,6 +317,18 @@ static __inline HMODULE LoadLibraryU(LPCSTR lpFileName)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static __inline HMODULE LoadLibraryExU(LPCSTR lpFileName, HANDLE hFile, DWORD dwFlags)
+{
+	HMODULE ret;
+	DWORD err = ERROR_INVALID_DATA;
+	wconvert(lpFileName);
+	ret = LoadLibraryExW(wlpFileName, hFile, dwFlags);
+	err = GetLastError();
+	wfree(lpFileName);
+	SetLastError(err);
+	return ret;
+}
+
 static __inline int DrawTextU(HDC hDC, LPCSTR lpText, int nCount, LPRECT lpRect, UINT uFormat)
 {
 	int ret;
diff --git a/src/rufus.c b/src/rufus.c
index 707be8f3..3fcf87fe 100755
--- a/src/rufus.c
+++ b/src/rufus.c
@@ -3148,7 +3148,8 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine
 	// nail... Also, no, Coverity, we never need to care about freeing kernel32 as a library.
 	// coverity[leaked_storage]
 	pfSetDefaultDllDirectories = (SetDefaultDllDirectories_t)
-		GetProcAddress(LoadLibraryW(kernel32_path), "SetDefaultDllDirectories");
+		GetProcAddress(LoadLibraryExW(kernel32_path, NULL, LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_SYSTEM32),
+			"SetDefaultDllDirectories");
 	if (pfSetDefaultDllDirectories != NULL)
 		pfSetDefaultDllDirectories(LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_SYSTEM32);
 
diff --git a/src/rufus.h b/src/rufus.h
index 7b242744..becf8c96 100644
--- a/src/rufus.h
+++ b/src/rufus.h
@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ static __inline HMODULE GetLibraryHandle(char* szLibraryName) {
 		if (OpenedLibrariesHandleSize >= MAX_LIBRARY_HANDLES) {
 			uprintf("Error: MAX_LIBRARY_HANDLES is too small\n");
 		} else {
-			h = LoadLibraryA(szLibraryName);
+			h = LoadLibraryExA(szLibraryName, NULL, LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_SYSTEM32);
 			if (h != NULL)
 				OpenedLibrariesHandle[OpenedLibrariesHandleSize++] = h;
 		}
diff --git a/src/rufus.rc b/src/rufus.rc
index 64ac7174..28002ebb 100644
--- a/src/rufus.rc
+++ b/src/rufus.rc
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ LANGUAGE LANG_NEUTRAL, SUBLANG_NEUTRAL
 IDD_DIALOG DIALOGEX 12, 12, 232, 326
 STYLE DS_SETFONT | DS_MODALFRAME | DS_CENTER | WS_MINIMIZEBOX | WS_POPUP | WS_CAPTION | WS_SYSMENU
 EXSTYLE WS_EX_ACCEPTFILES
-CAPTION "Rufus 3.14.1768"
+CAPTION "Rufus 3.14.1769"
 FONT 9, "Segoe UI Symbol", 400, 0, 0x0
 BEGIN
     LTEXT           "Drive Properties",IDS_DRIVE_PROPERTIES_TXT,8,6,53,12,NOT WS_GROUP
@@ -395,8 +395,8 @@ END
 //
 
 VS_VERSION_INFO VERSIONINFO
- FILEVERSION 3,14,1768,0
- PRODUCTVERSION 3,14,1768,0
+ FILEVERSION 3,14,1769,0
+ PRODUCTVERSION 3,14,1769,0
  FILEFLAGSMASK 0x3fL
 #ifdef _DEBUG
  FILEFLAGS 0x1L
@@ -414,13 +414,13 @@ BEGIN
             VALUE "Comments", "https://rufus.ie"
             VALUE "CompanyName", "Akeo Consulting"
             VALUE "FileDescription", "Rufus"
-            VALUE "FileVersion", "3.14.1768"
+            VALUE "FileVersion", "3.14.1769"
             VALUE "InternalName", "Rufus"
             VALUE "LegalCopyright", "© 2011-2021 Pete Batard (GPL v3)"
             VALUE "LegalTrademarks", "https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html"
             VALUE "OriginalFilename", "rufus-3.14.exe"
             VALUE "ProductName", "Rufus"
-            VALUE "ProductVersion", "3.14.1768"
+            VALUE "ProductVersion", "3.14.1769"
         END
     END
     BLOCK "VarFileInfo"
diff --git a/src/stdlg.c b/src/stdlg.c
index 0a589154..5fe5c4fc 100644
--- a/src/stdlg.c
+++ b/src/stdlg.c
@@ -2047,7 +2047,7 @@ void SetAlertPromptMessages(void)
 	// Fetch the localized strings in the relevant MUI
 	// Must use sysnative_dir rather than system_dir as we may not find the MUI's otherwise
 	static_sprintf(mui_path, "%s\\%s\\shell32.dll.mui", sysnative_dir, GetCurrentMUI());
-	mui_lib = LoadLibraryU(mui_path);
+	mui_lib = LoadLibraryExU(mui_path, NULL, LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_DLL_LOAD_DIR);
 	if (mui_lib != NULL) {
 		// 4097 = "You need to format the disk in drive %c: before you can use it." (dialog text)
 		// 4125 = "Microsoft Windows" (dialog title)
@@ -2063,7 +2063,7 @@ void SetAlertPromptMessages(void)
 		FreeLibrary(mui_lib);
 	}
 	static_sprintf(mui_path, "%s\\%s\\urlmon.dll.mui", sysnative_dir, GetCurrentMUI());
-	mui_lib = LoadLibraryU(mui_path);
+	mui_lib = LoadLibraryExU(mui_path, NULL, LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_DLL_LOAD_DIR);
 	if (mui_lib != NULL) {
 		// 2070 = "Windows Security Warning" (yes, that's what MS uses for a stupid cookie!)
 		if (LoadStringU(mui_lib, 2070, title_str[1], sizeof(title_str[1])) <= 0) {
diff --git a/src/syslinux/win/ntfssect.c b/src/syslinux/win/ntfssect.c
index d0e1954b..15d2709c 100644
--- a/src/syslinux/win/ntfssect.c
+++ b/src/syslinux/win/ntfssect.c
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ DWORD M_NTFSSECT_API NtfsSectLoadXpFuncs(S_NTFSSECT_XPFUNCS * XpFuncs) {
 
     XpFuncs->Size = sizeof *XpFuncs;
 
-    XpFuncs->Kernel32 = LoadLibraryA("kernel32.dll");
+    XpFuncs->Kernel32 = LoadLibraryExA("kernel32.dll", NULL, LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_SYSTEM32);
     rc = GetLastError();
     if (!XpFuncs->Kernel32) {
         M_ERR("KERNEL32.DLL not found!");