diff --git a/src/utils_.toit b/src/utils_.toit
index 6b5b308..a60e4ee 100644
--- a/src/utils_.toit
+++ b/src/utils_.toit
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 import host.directory
 import host.file
 import host.os
-import host.pipe
 import system
 
 /**
@@ -23,46 +22,11 @@ with-tmp-directory [block]:
   finally:
     directory.rmdir --recursive tmpdir
 
-tool-path_ tool/string -> string:
-  if system.platform != system.PLATFORM-WINDOWS: return tool
-  // On Windows, we use the <tool>.exe that comes with Git for Windows.
-
-  // TODO(florian): depending on environment variables is brittle.
-  // We should use `SearchPath` (to find `git.exe` in the PATH), or
-  // 'SHGetSpecialFolderPath' (to find the default 'Program Files' folder).
-  program-files-path := os.env.get "ProgramFiles"
-  if not program-files-path:
-    // This is brittle, as Windows localizes the name of the folder.
-    program-files-path = "C:/Program Files"
-  result := "$program-files-path/Git/usr/bin/$(tool).exe"
-  if not file.is-file result:
-    throw "Could not find $result. Please install Git for Windows"
-  return result
-
 /**
 Copies the $source directory into the $target directory.
 
 If the $target directory does not exist, it is created.
 */
-// TODO(florian): this should not use 'tar'. Once we have support for
-// symlinks this function should be rewritten.
 copy-directory --source/string --target/string:
   directory.mkdir --recursive target
-  with-tmp-directory: | tmp-dir |
-    // We are using `tar` so we keep the permissions and symlinks.
-    tar := tool-path_ "tar"
-
-    tmp-tar := "$tmp-dir/tmp.tar"
-    extra-args := []
-    if system.platform == system.PLATFORM-WINDOWS:
-      // Tar can't handle backslashes as separators.
-      source = source.replace --all "\\" "/"
-      target = target.replace --all "\\" "/"
-      tmp-tar = tmp-tar.replace --all "\\" "/"
-      extra-args = ["--force-local"]
-
-    // We are using an intermediate file.
-    // Using pipes was too slow on Windows.
-    // See https://github.com/toitlang/toit/issues/1568.
-    pipe.backticks [tar, "c", "-f", tmp-tar, "-C", source, "."] + extra-args
-    pipe.backticks [tar, "x", "-f", tmp-tar, "-C", target] + extra-args
+  file.copy --recursive --source=source --target=target