diff --git a/unittest/commands/test_variables.cpp b/unittest/commands/test_variables.cpp
index 4f603df5ac..86d880f22c 100644
--- a/unittest/commands/test_variables.cpp
+++ b/unittest/commands/test_variables.cpp
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ protected:
     void TearDown() override
     {
         LAMMPSTest::TearDown();
-        unlink("test_variable.file");
-        unlink("test_variable.atomfile");
+        platform::unlink("test_variable.file");
+        platform::unlink("test_variable.atomfile");
     }
 
     void atomic_system()
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ TEST_F(VariableTest, CreateDelete)
     fputs(" ", fp);
     fclose(fp);
     ASSERT_THAT(variable->retrieve("file"), StrEq("1"));
-    unlink("MYFILE");
+    platform::unlink("MYFILE");
     ASSERT_THAT(variable->retrieve("file"), StrEq("0"));
 
     BEGIN_HIDE_OUTPUT();
diff --git a/unittest/force-styles/test_error_stats.cpp b/unittest/force-styles/test_error_stats.cpp
index 0d0cbd43b3..cadb4e7f2a 100644
--- a/unittest/force-styles/test_error_stats.cpp
+++ b/unittest/force-styles/test_error_stats.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "fmtlib_format.cpp"
 #include "fmtlib_os.cpp"
 
+// Windows may define this as a macro
 #if defined(max)
 #undef max
 #endif
diff --git a/unittest/formats/test_text_file_reader.cpp b/unittest/formats/test_text_file_reader.cpp
index f0f695ae54..6fcc21fb33 100644
--- a/unittest/formats/test_text_file_reader.cpp
+++ b/unittest/formats/test_text_file_reader.cpp
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ class TextFileReaderTest : public ::testing::Test {
 protected:
     void TearDown() override
     {
-        unlink("text_reader_one.file");
-        unlink("text_reader_two.file");
+        platform::unlink("text_reader_one.file");
+        platform::unlink("text_reader_two.file");
     }
 
     void test_files()
@@ -65,16 +65,22 @@ TEST_F(TextFileReaderTest, nofile)
                  FileReaderException);
 }
 
+// this test cannot work on windows due to its non unix-like permission system
+
+#if !defined(_WIN32)
 TEST_F(TextFileReaderTest, permissions)
 {
+    platform::unlink("text_reader_noperms.file");
     FILE *fp = fopen("text_reader_noperms.file", "w");
+    ASSERT_NE(fp,nullptr);
     fputs("word\n", fp);
     fclose(fp);
     chmod("text_reader_noperms.file", 0);
     ASSERT_THROW({ TextFileReader reader("text_reader_noperms.file", "test"); },
                  FileReaderException);
-    unlink("text_reader_noperms.file");
+    platform::unlink("text_reader_noperms.file");
 }
+#endif
 
 TEST_F(TextFileReaderTest, nofp)
 {