diff --git a/src/msw/mediactrl_am.cpp b/src/msw/mediactrl_am.cpp
index 6821e423da..eb181093fe 100644
--- a/src/msw/mediactrl_am.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/mediactrl_am.cpp
@@ -1127,7 +1127,7 @@ bool wxAMMediaBackend::Load(const wxURI& location, const wxURI& proxy)
     if(pPlay)
     {
         pPlay->put_UseHTTPProxy(VARIANT_TRUE);
-        pPlay->put_HTTPProxyHost(wxBasicString(proxy.GetServer()).Get());
+        pPlay->put_HTTPProxyHost(wxBasicString(proxy.GetServer()).Detach());
         pPlay->put_HTTPProxyPort(wxAtoi(proxy.GetPort()));
         pPlay->Release();
     }
@@ -1150,9 +1150,9 @@ bool wxAMMediaBackend::DoLoad(const wxString& location)
     // the docs say its async and put_FileName is not -
     // but in practice they both seem to be async anyway
     if(GetMP())
-        hr = GetMP()->Open( wxBasicString(location).Get() );
+        hr = GetMP()->Open( wxBasicString(location).Detach() );
     else
-        hr = GetAM()->put_FileName( wxBasicString(location).Get() );
+        hr = GetAM()->put_FileName( wxBasicString(location).Detach() );
 
     if(FAILED(hr))
     {
diff --git a/src/msw/mediactrl_wmp10.cpp b/src/msw/mediactrl_wmp10.cpp
index 533abf3c76..b9d145d4e7 100644
--- a/src/msw/mediactrl_wmp10.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/mediactrl_wmp10.cpp
@@ -909,17 +909,17 @@ bool wxWMP10MediaBackend::Load(const wxURI& location,
                                         ) == 0 &&
 
             pWMPNetwork->setProxySettings(
-                    wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Get(), // protocol
+                    wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Detach(), // protocol
                                 2) == 0) // 2 == manually specify
         {
             BSTR bsOldName = NULL;
             long lOldPort = 0;
 
             pWMPNetwork->getProxyName(
-                        wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Get(),
+                        wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Detach(),
                         &bsOldName);
             pWMPNetwork->getProxyPort(
-                        wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Get(),
+                        wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Detach(),
                         &lOldPort);
 
             long lPort;
@@ -936,11 +936,11 @@ bool wxWMP10MediaBackend::Load(const wxURI& location,
             }
 
             if( pWMPNetwork->setProxyName(
-                        wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Get(), // proto
+                        wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Detach(), // proto
                         wxBasicString(server).Get() ) == 0  &&
 
                 pWMPNetwork->setProxyPort(
-                        wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Get(), // proto
+                        wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Detach(), // proto
                         lPort
                                          ) == 0
               )
@@ -948,16 +948,16 @@ bool wxWMP10MediaBackend::Load(const wxURI& location,
                 bOK = DoLoad(location.BuildURI());
 
                 pWMPNetwork->setProxySettings(
-                    wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Get(), // protocol
+                    wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Detach(), // protocol
                                 lOldSetting);
                 if(bsOldName)
                     pWMPNetwork->setProxyName(
-                        wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Get(), // protocol
+                        wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Detach(), // protocol
                                     bsOldName);
 
                 if(lOldPort)
                     pWMPNetwork->setProxyPort(
-                        wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Get(), // protocol
+                        wxBasicString(location.GetScheme()).Detach(), // protocol
                                 lOldPort);
 
                 pWMPNetwork->Release();
@@ -1012,7 +1012,7 @@ bool wxWMP10MediaBackend::DoLoad(const wxString& location)
 #endif
     {
         // just load it the "normal" way
-        hr = m_pWMPPlayer->put_URL( wxBasicString(location).Get() );
+        hr = m_pWMPPlayer->put_URL( wxBasicString(location).Detach() );
     }
 
     if(FAILED(hr))
@@ -1061,12 +1061,12 @@ bool wxWMP10MediaBackend::ShowPlayerControls(wxMediaCtrlPlayerControls flags)
     if(!flags)
     {
         m_pWMPPlayer->put_enabled(VARIANT_FALSE);
-        m_pWMPPlayer->put_uiMode(wxBasicString(wxT("none")).Get());
+        m_pWMPPlayer->put_uiMode(wxBasicString(wxT("none")).Detach());
     }
     else
     {
         // TODO: use "custom"? (note that CE only supports none/full)
-        m_pWMPPlayer->put_uiMode(wxBasicString(wxT("full")).Get());
+        m_pWMPPlayer->put_uiMode(wxBasicString(wxT("full")).Detach());
         m_pWMPPlayer->put_enabled(VARIANT_TRUE);
     }
 
@@ -1358,7 +1358,7 @@ wxLongLong wxWMP10MediaBackend::GetDownloadTotal()
     if(m_pWMPPlayer->get_currentMedia(&pWMPMedia) == 0)
     {
         BSTR bsOut;
-        pWMPMedia->getItemInfo(wxBasicString(wxT("FileSize")).Get(),
+        pWMPMedia->getItemInfo(wxBasicString(wxT("FileSize")).Detach(),
                                &bsOut);
 
         wxString sFileSize = wxConvertStringFromOle(bsOut);
diff --git a/src/msw/ole/access.cpp b/src/msw/ole/access.cpp
index 7c5d3541d5..6dd3a7baa5 100644
--- a/src/msw/ole/access.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/ole/access.cpp
@@ -938,8 +938,7 @@ STDMETHODIMP wxIAccessible::get_accDefaultAction ( VARIANT varID, BSTR* pszDefau
         }
         else
         {
-            wxBasicString basicString(defaultAction);
-            * pszDefaultAction = basicString.Get();
+            * pszDefaultAction = wxBasicString(defaultAction).Detach();
             return S_OK;
         }
     }
@@ -999,8 +998,7 @@ STDMETHODIMP wxIAccessible::get_accDescription ( VARIANT varID, BSTR* pszDescrip
         }
         else
         {
-            wxBasicString basicString(description);
-            * pszDescription = basicString.Get();
+            * pszDescription = wxBasicString(description).Detach();
             return S_OK;
         }
     }
@@ -1060,8 +1058,7 @@ STDMETHODIMP wxIAccessible::get_accHelp ( VARIANT varID, BSTR* pszHelp)
         }
         else
         {
-            wxBasicString basicString(helpString);
-            * pszHelp = basicString.Get();
+            * pszHelp = wxBasicString(helpString).Detach();
             return S_OK;
         }
     }
@@ -1171,8 +1168,7 @@ STDMETHODIMP wxIAccessible::get_accKeyboardShortcut ( VARIANT varID, BSTR* pszKe
         }
         else
         {
-            wxBasicString basicString(keyboardShortcut);
-            * pszKeyboardShortcut = basicString.Get();
+            * pszKeyboardShortcut = wxBasicString(keyboardShortcut).Detach();
             return S_OK;
         }
     }
@@ -1235,8 +1231,7 @@ STDMETHODIMP wxIAccessible::get_accName ( VARIANT varID, BSTR* pszName)
         }
         else
         {
-            wxBasicString basicString(name);
-            *pszName = basicString.Get();
+            *pszName = wxBasicString(name).Detach();
         }
         return S_OK;
     }
@@ -1416,8 +1411,7 @@ STDMETHODIMP wxIAccessible::get_accValue ( VARIANT varID, BSTR* pszValue)
         }
         else
         {
-            wxBasicString basicString(strValue);
-            * pszValue = basicString.Get();
+            * pszValue = wxBasicString(strValue).Detach();
             return S_OK;
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/msw/ole/oleutils.cpp b/src/msw/ole/oleutils.cpp
index b56a1bbf07..5a24918fb6 100644
--- a/src/msw/ole/oleutils.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/ole/oleutils.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 
 WXDLLEXPORT BSTR wxConvertStringToOle(const wxString& str)
 {
-    return wxBasicString(str).Get();
+    return wxBasicString(str).Detach();
 }
 
 WXDLLEXPORT wxString wxConvertStringFromOle(BSTR bStr)