diff --git a/ide/utilities/src/org/netbeans/modules/openfile/RecentFileAction.java b/ide/utilities/src/org/netbeans/modules/openfile/RecentFileAction.java
index 2138d1aa6c67..5ff977d16206 100644
--- a/ide/utilities/src/org/netbeans/modules/openfile/RecentFileAction.java
+++ b/ide/utilities/src/org/netbeans/modules/openfile/RecentFileAction.java
@@ -27,14 +27,16 @@
 import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
 import java.beans.PropertyChangeEvent;
 import java.beans.PropertyChangeListener;
-import java.io.File;
+import java.net.MalformedURLException;
+import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.List;
 import javax.swing.*;
 import javax.swing.event.ChangeEvent;
 import javax.swing.event.ChangeListener;
 import org.netbeans.modules.openfile.RecentFiles.HistoryItem;
 import org.openide.awt.*;
-import org.openide.filesystems.FileUtil;
+import org.openide.filesystems.FileObject;
+import org.openide.filesystems.URLMapper;
 import org.openide.util.NbBundle;
 import org.openide.util.RequestProcessor;
 import org.openide.util.actions.Presenter;
@@ -224,8 +226,15 @@ public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent evt) {
                 msg = OFMSG_NO_RECENT_FILE;
             }
         }
-        if( null == msg )
-            msg = openFile(path);
+        
+        try {
+            URL url = new URL(path);
+            if( null == msg ) msg = openFile(url);
+        } catch (MalformedURLException ex) {
+            msg = ""; //NOI18N
+        }
+        
+      
         if (msg != null) {
             StatusDisplayer.getDefault().setStatusText(msg);
             Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().beep();
@@ -235,19 +244,15 @@ public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent evt) {
 
     /**
      * Open a file.
-     * @param path the path to the file or {@code null}.
+     * @param url the path to the file.
      * @return error message or {@code null} on success.
      */
-    private String openFile(String path) {
-        if(path == null || path.length() == 0) {
-            return OFMSG_PATH_IS_NOT_DEFINED;
-        }
-        File f = new File(path);
-        if (!f.exists()) {
+    private String openFile(URL url) {
+        FileObject fo = URLMapper.findFileObject(url);
+        if (fo == null || !fo.isValid()) {
             return OFMSG_FILE_NOT_EXISTS;
         }
-        File nf = FileUtil.normalizeFile(f);
-        return OpenFile.open(FileUtil.toFileObject(nf), -1);
+        return OpenFile.open(fo, -1);
     }
     
     /** Menu that checks its enabled state just before is populated */
diff --git a/ide/utilities/src/org/netbeans/modules/openfile/RecentFiles.java b/ide/utilities/src/org/netbeans/modules/openfile/RecentFiles.java
index 16fddcb2d369..28b8c491dd0b 100644
--- a/ide/utilities/src/org/netbeans/modules/openfile/RecentFiles.java
+++ b/ide/utilities/src/org/netbeans/modules/openfile/RecentFiles.java
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 import java.io.ObjectInputStream;
 import java.io.ObjectOutputStream;
 import java.io.Serializable;
+import java.net.MalformedURLException;
+import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Iterator;
@@ -42,7 +44,7 @@
 import javax.swing.ImageIcon;
 import org.netbeans.modules.openfile.RecentFiles.HistoryItem;
 import org.openide.filesystems.FileObject;
-import org.openide.filesystems.FileUtil;
+import org.openide.filesystems.URLMapper;
 import org.openide.loaders.DataObject;
 import org.openide.loaders.DataObjectNotFoundException;
 import org.openide.modules.OnStop;
@@ -162,8 +164,7 @@ static List<HistoryItem> load() {
             String value = _prefs.get(curKey, null);
             if (value != null) {
                 try {
-                    int id = new Integer(
-                         curKey.substring(PROP_URL_PREFIX.length())).intValue();
+                    int id = Integer.parseInt(curKey.substring(PROP_URL_PREFIX.length()));
                     HistoryItem hItem = new HistoryItem(id, value,
                             _prefs.getByteArray(PROP_ICON_PREFIX + id, null));
                     int ind = result.indexOf(hItem);
@@ -313,7 +314,7 @@ private static Icon findIconForPath(String path) {
     }
 
     private static String obtainPath(TopComponent tc) {
-        Object file = tc.getClientProperty( RECENT_FILE_KEY );
+        Object file = tc.getClientProperty( RECENT_FILE_KEY ); //TODO: possible dead code. RECENT_FILE_KEY not found in entire codebase
         if( file instanceof File )
             return ((File)file).getPath();
         if( tc instanceof CloneableTopComponent ) {
@@ -338,14 +339,14 @@ private static HistoryItem findHistoryItem(String path) {
     }
 
     static String convertFile2Path(FileObject fo) {
-        File f = FileUtil.toFile(fo);
-        return f == null ? null : f.getPath();
+        return fo.toURL().toExternalForm();
     }
 
     static FileObject convertPath2File(String path) {
-        File f = new File(path);
-        f = FileUtil.normalizeFile(f);
-        return f == null ? null : FileUtil.toFileObject(f);
+        try {
+            return URLMapper.findFileObject(new URL(path));
+        } catch (MalformedURLException ex) {}
+        return null;
     }
 
     /** Checks recent files history and removes non-valid entries */
@@ -411,8 +412,14 @@ static void pruneHistory() {
             Iterator<HistoryItem> it = history.iterator();
             while (it.hasNext()) {
                 HistoryItem historyItem = it.next();
-                File f = new File(historyItem.getPath());
-                if (!f.exists()) {
+                boolean prune = false;
+                try {
+                    FileObject fo = URLMapper.findFileObject(new URL(historyItem.getPath()));
+                    if (fo == null || !fo.isValid()) prune = true;
+                } catch (MalformedURLException ex) {
+                    prune = true;
+                }
+                if (prune) {
                     it.remove();
                 }
             }