diff --git a/examples/aobench_instrumented/ao.cpp b/examples/aobench_instrumented/ao.cpp
index d8145757..f77d3f6a 100644
--- a/examples/aobench_instrumented/ao.cpp
+++ b/examples/aobench_instrumented/ao.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@
 #define NOMINMAX
 #pragma warning (disable: 4244)
 #pragma warning (disable: 4305)
+// preventing MSVC fopen() deprecation complaints
+#define _CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
 #endif
 
 #include <stdio.h>
diff --git a/examples/aobench_instrumented/instrument.cpp b/examples/aobench_instrumented/instrument.cpp
index 0aaebe9e..649bf9ae 100644
--- a/examples/aobench_instrumented/instrument.cpp
+++ b/examples/aobench_instrumented/instrument.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@
 #include "instrument.h"
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <assert.h>
+#include <iomanip>
+#include <sstream>
 #include <string>
 #include <map>
 
@@ -46,7 +48,7 @@ struct CallInfo {
 
 static std::map<std::string, CallInfo> callInfo;
 
-int countbits(int i) {
+int countbits(uint64_t i) {
     int ret = 0;
     while (i) {
         if (i & 0x1)
@@ -61,13 +63,12 @@ int countbits(int i) {
 // command-line flag is given while compiling.
 void
 ISPCInstrument(const char *fn, const char *note, int line, uint64_t mask) {
-    char sline[16];
-    sprintf(sline, "%04d", line);
-    std::string s = std::string(fn) + std::string("(") + std::string(sline) +
-        std::string(") - ") + std::string(note);
+    std::stringstream s;
+    s << fn << "(" << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(4) << line << ") - "
+      << note;
 
     // Find or create a CallInfo instance for this callsite.
-    CallInfo &ci = callInfo[s];
+    CallInfo &ci = callInfo[s.str()];
 
     // And update its statistics... 
     ++ci.count;
diff --git a/examples/deferred/main.cpp b/examples/deferred/main.cpp
index d7f62f50..3f86258d 100644
--- a/examples/deferred/main.cpp
+++ b/examples/deferred/main.cpp
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 
     int nframes = test_iterations[2];
     double ispcCycles = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[0]; ++i) {
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < test_iterations[0]; ++i) {
         framebuffer.clear();
         reset_and_start_timer();
         for (int j = 0; j < nframes; ++j)
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 #endif // __cilk
 
     double serialCycles = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[1]; ++i) {
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < test_iterations[1]; ++i) {
         framebuffer.clear();
         reset_and_start_timer();
         for (int j = 0; j < nframes; ++j)
diff --git a/examples/mandelbrot/mandelbrot.cpp b/examples/mandelbrot/mandelbrot.cpp
index 44ed508b..3372d7df 100644
--- a/examples/mandelbrot/mandelbrot.cpp
+++ b/examples/mandelbrot/mandelbrot.cpp
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // time of three runs.
     //
     double minISPC = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[0]; ++i) {
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < test_iterations[0]; ++i) {
         reset_and_start_timer();
         mandelbrot_ispc(x0, y0, x1, y1, width, height, maxIterations, buf);
         double dt = get_elapsed_mcycles();
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // minimum time.
     //
     double minSerial = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[1]; ++i) {
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < test_iterations[1]; ++i) {
         reset_and_start_timer();
         mandelbrot_serial(x0, y0, x1, y1, width, height, maxIterations, buf);
         double dt = get_elapsed_mcycles();
diff --git a/examples/mandelbrot_tasks/mandelbrot_tasks.cpp b/examples/mandelbrot_tasks/mandelbrot_tasks.cpp
index 682987ae..44e5cf4d 100644
--- a/examples/mandelbrot_tasks/mandelbrot_tasks.cpp
+++ b/examples/mandelbrot_tasks/mandelbrot_tasks.cpp
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // time of three runs.
     //
     double minISPC = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[0]; ++i) {
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < test_iterations[0]; ++i) {
         // Clear out the buffer
         for (unsigned int i = 0; i < width * height; ++i)
             buf[i] = 0;
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // minimum time.
     //
     double minSerial = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[1]; ++i) {
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < test_iterations[1]; ++i) {
         // Clear out the buffer
         for (unsigned int i = 0; i < width * height; ++i)
             buf[i] = 0;
diff --git a/examples/noise/noise.cpp b/examples/noise/noise.cpp
index 866340e0..d22d49ce 100644
--- a/examples/noise/noise.cpp
+++ b/examples/noise/noise.cpp
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // time of three runs.
     //
     double minISPC = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[0]; ++i) {
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < test_iterations[0]; ++i) {
         reset_and_start_timer();
         noise_ispc(x0, y0, x1, y1, width, height, buf);
         double dt = get_elapsed_mcycles();
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // minimum time.
     //
     double minSerial = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[1]; ++i) {
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < test_iterations[1]; ++i) {
         reset_and_start_timer();
         noise_serial(x0, y0, x1, y1, width, height, buf);
         double dt = get_elapsed_mcycles();
diff --git a/examples/rt/rt.cpp b/examples/rt/rt.cpp
index 8f61656a..08fc575d 100644
--- a/examples/rt/rt.cpp
+++ b/examples/rt/rt.cpp
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // Run 3 iterations with ispc + 1 core, record the minimum time
     //
     double minTimeISPC = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[0]; ++i) {
+    for (uint i = 0; i < test_iterations[0]; ++i) {
         reset_and_start_timer();
         raytrace_ispc(width, height, baseWidth, baseHeight, raster2camera, 
                       camera2world, image, id, nodes, triangles);
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // Run 3 iterations with ispc + 1 core, record the minimum time
     //
     double minTimeISPCtasks = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[1]; ++i) {
+    for (uint i = 0; i < test_iterations[1]; ++i) {
         reset_and_start_timer();
         raytrace_ispc_tasks(width, height, baseWidth, baseHeight, raster2camera,
                             camera2world, image, id, nodes, triangles);
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // minimum time.
     //
     double minTimeSerial = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[2]; ++i) {
+    for (uint i = 0; i < test_iterations[2]; ++i) {
         reset_and_start_timer();
         raytrace_serial(width, height, baseWidth, baseHeight, raster2camera, 
                         camera2world, image, id, nodes, triangles);
diff --git a/examples/sort/sort.cpp b/examples/sort/sort.cpp
index 69e537a1..fc2d27b8 100644
--- a/examples/sort/sort.cpp
+++ b/examples/sort/sort.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <iostream>
+#include <string>
+#include <sstream>
 #include <cassert>
 #include <iomanip>
 #include "../timing.h"
@@ -61,9 +63,9 @@ static void progressBar(const int x, const int n, const int width = 50)
   bstr += "]";
 
   // print percentage 
-  char pstr0[32];
-  sprintf(pstr0, " %2d %c ", static_cast<int>(f*100.0),'%');
-  const std::string pstr(pstr0);
+  std::stringstream pstr0;
+  pstr0 << " " << static_cast<int>(f*100.0) << " % ";
+  const std::string pstr(pstr0.str());
   std::copy(pstr.begin(), pstr.end(), bstr.begin() + (width/2-2));
 
   std::cout << bstr;
diff --git a/examples/stencil/stencil.cpp b/examples/stencil/stencil.cpp
index 5a7a9b23..add05821 100644
--- a/examples/stencil/stencil.cpp
+++ b/examples/stencil/stencil.cpp
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // the minimum time of three runs.
     //
     double minTimeISPC = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[0]; ++i) {
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < test_iterations[0]; ++i) {
         reset_and_start_timer();
         loop_stencil_ispc(0, 6, width, Nx - width, width, Ny - width,
                           width, Nz - width, Nx, Ny, Nz, coeff, vsq,
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // the minimum time of three runs.
     //
     double minTimeISPCTasks = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[1]; ++i) {
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < test_iterations[1]; ++i) {
         reset_and_start_timer();
         loop_stencil_ispc_tasks(0, 6, width, Nx - width, width, Ny - width,
                                 width, Nz - width, Nx, Ny, Nz, coeff, vsq,
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // minimum time.
     //
     double minTimeSerial = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[2]; ++i) {
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < test_iterations[2]; ++i) {
         reset_and_start_timer();
         loop_stencil_serial(0, 6, width, Nx-width, width, Ny - width,
                             width, Nz - width, Nx, Ny, Nz, coeff, vsq,
diff --git a/examples/volume_rendering/volume.cpp b/examples/volume_rendering/volume.cpp
index c79809f8..2605e320 100644
--- a/examples/volume_rendering/volume.cpp
+++ b/examples/volume_rendering/volume.cpp
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // time of three runs.
     //
     double minISPC = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[0]; ++i) {
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < test_iterations[0]; ++i) {
         reset_and_start_timer();
         volume_ispc(density, n, raster2camera, camera2world,
                     width, height, image);
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // tasks; report the minimum time of three runs.
     //
     double minISPCtasks = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[1]; ++i) {
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < test_iterations[1]; ++i) {
         reset_and_start_timer();
         volume_ispc_tasks(density, n, raster2camera, camera2world,
                           width, height, image);
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // minimum time.
     //
     double minSerial = 1e30;
-    for (int i = 0; i < test_iterations[2]; ++i) {
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < test_iterations[2]; ++i) {
         reset_and_start_timer();
         volume_serial(density, n, raster2camera, camera2world,
                       width, height, image);