diff --git a/jupyter_core/paths.py b/jupyter_core/paths.py
index 4bee4ff3..8d6869e2 100644
--- a/jupyter_core/paths.py
+++ b/jupyter_core/paths.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import errno
 import tempfile
 import warnings
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ def get_home_dir():
     homedir = os.path.expanduser('~')
     # Next line will make things work even when /home/ is a symlink to
     # /usr/home as it is on FreeBSD, for example
-    homedir = os.path.realpath(homedir)
+    homedir = str(Path(homedir).resolve())
     return homedir
 
 _dtemps = {}
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ def jupyter_data_dir():
     elif os.name == 'nt':
         appdata = os.environ.get('APPDATA', None)
         if appdata:
-            return pjoin(appdata, 'jupyter')
+            return str(Path(appdata, 'jupyter').resolve())
         else:
             return pjoin(jupyter_config_dir(), 'data')
     else:
diff --git a/jupyter_core/tests/mocking.py b/jupyter_core/tests/mocking.py
index 094c5f09..e1f62a12 100644
--- a/jupyter_core/tests/mocking.py
+++ b/jupyter_core/tests/mocking.py
@@ -29,8 +29,3 @@ def __exit__(self, *args):
     patch.object(os, 'name', 'posix'),
     patch.object(sys, 'platform', 'linux2'),
 )
-
-windows = MultiPatch(
-    patch.object(os, 'name', 'nt'),
-    patch.object(sys, 'platform', 'win32'),
-)
diff --git a/jupyter_core/tests/test_paths.py b/jupyter_core/tests/test_paths.py
index 6d37d22c..5b4ae657 100644
--- a/jupyter_core/tests/test_paths.py
+++ b/jupyter_core/tests/test_paths.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     secure_write, is_hidden, is_file_hidden
 )
 
-from .mocking import darwin, windows, linux
+from .mocking import darwin, linux
 
 pjoin = os.path.join
 
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@
     'XDG_RUNTIME_DIR': '',
 })
 
-appdata = patch.dict('os.environ', {'APPDATA': 'appdata'})
-
 no_config_env = patch.dict('os.environ', {
     'JUPYTER_CONFIG_DIR': '',
     'JUPYTER_DATA_DIR': '',
@@ -50,7 +48,7 @@
 
 
 def realpath(path):
-    return os.path.realpath(os.path.expanduser(path))
+    return os.path.abspath(os.path.realpath(os.path.expanduser(path)))
 
 home_jupyter = realpath('~/.jupyter')
 
@@ -65,6 +63,7 @@ def test_envset():
             assert not paths.envset(f"FOO_{v}")
         assert not paths.envset("THIS_VARIABLE_SHOULD_NOT_BE_SET")
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == "win32", reason="does not run on windows")
 def test_config_dir_darwin():
     with darwin, no_config_env:
         config = jupyter_config_dir()
@@ -74,23 +73,24 @@ def test_config_dir_darwin():
         config = jupyter_config_dir()
     assert config == jupyter_config_env
 
-
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform != "win32", reason="only run on windows")
 def test_config_dir_windows():
-    with windows, no_config_env:
+    with no_config_env:
         config = jupyter_config_dir()
     assert config == home_jupyter
 
-    with windows, config_env:
+    with config_env:
         config = jupyter_config_dir()
     assert config == jupyter_config_env
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == "win32", reason="does not run on windows")
 def test_config_dir_linux():
-    with windows, no_config_env:
+    with linux, no_config_env:
         config = jupyter_config_dir()
     assert config == home_jupyter
 
-    with windows, config_env:
+    with linux, config_env:
         config = jupyter_config_dir()
     assert config == jupyter_config_env
 
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ def test_data_dir_env():
     assert data == data_env
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == "win32", reason="does not run on windows")
 def test_data_dir_darwin():
     with darwin:
         data = jupyter_data_dir()
@@ -112,18 +113,18 @@ def test_data_dir_darwin():
         data = jupyter_data_dir()
     assert data == realpath('~/Library/Jupyter')
 
-
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform != "win32", reason="only run on windows")
 def test_data_dir_windows():
-    with windows, appdata:
-        data = jupyter_data_dir()
-    assert data == pjoin('appdata', 'jupyter')
+    data = jupyter_data_dir()
+    assert data == realpath(pjoin(os.environ.get('APPDATA', None), 'jupyter'))
 
-    with windows, appdata, xdg:
+    with xdg:
         # windows should ignore xdg
         data = jupyter_data_dir()
-    assert data == pjoin('appdata', 'jupyter')
+    assert data == realpath(pjoin(os.environ.get('APPDATA', None), 'jupyter'))
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == "win32", reason="does not run on windows")
 def test_data_dir_linux():
     with linux, no_xdg:
         data = jupyter_data_dir()
@@ -141,6 +142,7 @@ def test_runtime_dir_env():
     assert runtime == rtd_env
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == "win32", reason="does not run on windows")
 def test_runtime_dir_darwin():
     with darwin:
         runtime = jupyter_runtime_dir()
@@ -151,18 +153,18 @@ def test_runtime_dir_darwin():
         runtime = jupyter_runtime_dir()
     assert runtime == realpath('~/Library/Jupyter/runtime')
 
-
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform != "win32", reason="only run on windows")
 def test_runtime_dir_windows():
-    with windows, appdata:
-        runtime = jupyter_runtime_dir()
-    assert runtime == pjoin('appdata', 'jupyter', 'runtime')
+    runtime = jupyter_runtime_dir()
+    assert runtime == realpath(pjoin(os.environ.get('APPDATA', None), 'jupyter', 'runtime'))
 
-    with windows, appdata, xdg:
+    with xdg:
         # windows should ignore xdg
         runtime = jupyter_runtime_dir()
-    assert runtime == pjoin('appdata', 'jupyter', 'runtime')
+    assert runtime == realpath(pjoin(os.environ.get('APPDATA', None), 'jupyter', 'runtime'))
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == "win32", reason="does not run on windows")
 def test_runtime_dir_linux():
     with linux, no_xdg:
         runtime = jupyter_runtime_dir()