diff --git a/src/dictdfiles.cc b/src/dictdfiles.cc
index 094d41e9..fedaaf3c 100644
--- a/src/dictdfiles.cc
+++ b/src/dictdfiles.cc
@@ -301,18 +301,14 @@ sptr< Dictionary::DataRequest > DictdDictionary::getArticle( wstring const & wor
 
 static bool tryPossibleName( string const & name, string & copyTo )
 {
-  try
+  if ( File::exists( name ) )
   {
-    File::Class f( name, "rb" );
-
     copyTo = name;
 
     return true;
   }
-  catch( ... )
-  {
+  else
     return false;
-  }
 }
 
 vector< sptr< Dictionary::Class > > makeDictionaries(
diff --git a/src/dsl.cc b/src/dsl.cc
index 1c1adcd0..2dbb904f 100644
--- a/src/dsl.cc
+++ b/src/dsl.cc
@@ -1276,18 +1276,14 @@ sptr< Dictionary::DataRequest > DslDictionary::getResource( string const & name
 
 static bool tryPossibleName( string const & name, string & copyTo )
 {
-  try
+  if ( File::exists( name ) )
   {
-    File::Class f( name, "rb" );
-
     copyTo = name;
 
     return true;
   }
-  catch( ... )
-  {
+  else
     return false;
-  }
 }
 
 #if 0
diff --git a/src/file.cc b/src/file.cc
index b7273c7d..e4fe3178 100644
--- a/src/file.cc
+++ b/src/file.cc
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
 #include <cstring>
 #include <cerrno>
 
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
 namespace File {
 
 enum
@@ -15,6 +19,17 @@ enum
   WriteBufferSize = 65536
 };
 
+bool exists( char const * filename ) throw()
+{
+#ifdef __WIN32
+  struct _stat buf;
+  return _stat( filename, &buf ) == 0;
+#else
+  struct stat buf;
+  return stat( filename, &buf ) == 0;
+#endif
+}
+
 void Class::open( char const * filename, char const * mode ) throw( exCantOpen )
 {
   f = fopen( filename, mode );
diff --git a/src/file.hh b/src/file.hh
index 9f850615..10305ee6 100644
--- a/src/file.hh
+++ b/src/file.hh
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ DEF_EX( exReadError, "Error reading from the file", Ex )
 DEF_EX( exWriteError, "Error writing to the file", Ex )
 DEF_EX( exSeekError, "File seek error", Ex )
 
+/// Checks if the file exists or not.
+bool exists( char const * filename ) throw();
+
+inline bool exists( std::string const & filename ) throw()
+{ return exists( filename.c_str() ); }
+
 class Class
 {
   FILE * f;
diff --git a/src/stardict.cc b/src/stardict.cc
index 140cc32a..99e23cd6 100644
--- a/src/stardict.cc
+++ b/src/stardict.cc
@@ -815,18 +815,14 @@ Ifo::Ifo( File::Class & f ):
 
 static bool tryPossibleName( string const & name, string & copyTo )
 {
-  try
+  if ( File::exists( name ) )
   {
-    File::Class f( name, "rb" );
-
     copyTo = name;
 
     return true;
   }
-  catch( ... )
-  {
+  else
     return false;
-  }
 }
 
 static void findCorrespondingFiles( string const & ifo,