diff --git a/stepmania/src/NoteData.cpp b/stepmania/src/NoteData.cpp
index d59efd4d50..f19584660a 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/NoteData.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/NoteData.cpp
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ int NoteData::GetLastRow() const
 	
 	for( int t=0; t < GetNumTracks(); t++ )
 	{
-		int iRow = 999999999;
+		int iRow = MAX_NOTE_ROW;
 		if( !GetPrevTapNoteRowForTrack( t, iRow ) )
 			continue;
 		iOldestRowFoundSoFar = max( iOldestRowFoundSoFar, iRow );
@@ -349,9 +349,6 @@ int NoteData::GetLastRow() const
 
 int NoteData::GetNumTapNotes( int iStartIndex, int iEndIndex ) const
 {
-	if( iEndIndex == -1 )
-		iEndIndex = 999999;
-
 	int iNumNotes = 0;
 	for( int t=0; t<GetNumTracks(); t++ )
 	{
@@ -368,9 +365,6 @@ int NoteData::GetNumTapNotes( int iStartIndex, int iEndIndex ) const
 
 int NoteData::GetNumRowsWithTap( int iStartIndex, int iEndIndex ) const
 {
-	if( iEndIndex == -1 )
-		iEndIndex = 999999;
-
 	int iNumNotes = 0;
 	FOREACH_NONEMPTY_ROW_ALL_TRACKS_RANGE( *this, r, iStartIndex, iEndIndex )
 		if( IsThereATapAtRow(r) )
@@ -381,9 +375,6 @@ int NoteData::GetNumRowsWithTap( int iStartIndex, int iEndIndex ) const
 
 int NoteData::GetNumMines( int iStartIndex, int iEndIndex ) const
 {
-	if( iEndIndex == -1 )
-		iEndIndex = 999999;
-
 	int iNumMines = 0;
 
 	for( int t=0; t<GetNumTracks(); t++ )
@@ -398,9 +389,6 @@ int NoteData::GetNumMines( int iStartIndex, int iEndIndex ) const
 
 int NoteData::GetNumRowsWithTapOrHoldHead( int iStartIndex, int iEndIndex ) const
 {
-	if( iEndIndex == -1 )
-		iEndIndex = 999999;
-
 	int iNumNotes = 0;
 	FOREACH_NONEMPTY_ROW_ALL_TRACKS_RANGE( *this, r, iStartIndex, iEndIndex )
 		if( IsThereATapOrHoldHeadAtRow(r) )
@@ -450,9 +438,6 @@ int NoteData::GetNumHands( int iStartIndex, int iEndIndex ) const
 	 * etc.  Only count rows that have at least one tap note (hold heads count).
 	 * Otherwise, every row of hold notes counts, so three simultaneous hold
 	 * notes will count as hundreds of "hands". */
-	if( iEndIndex == -1 )
-		iEndIndex = 999999;
-
 	int iNum = 0;
 	FOREACH_NONEMPTY_ROW_ALL_TRACKS_RANGE( *this, r, iStartIndex, iEndIndex )
 	{
@@ -467,9 +452,6 @@ int NoteData::GetNumHands( int iStartIndex, int iEndIndex ) const
 
 int NoteData::GetNumN( int iMinTaps, int iStartIndex, int iEndIndex ) const
 {
-	if( iEndIndex == -1 )
-		iEndIndex = 999999;
-
 	int iNum = 0;
 	FOREACH_NONEMPTY_ROW_ALL_TRACKS_RANGE( *this, r, iStartIndex, iEndIndex )
 	{
@@ -489,9 +471,6 @@ int NoteData::GetNumN( int iMinTaps, int iStartIndex, int iEndIndex ) const
 
 int NoteData::GetNumHoldNotes( int iStartIndex, int iEndIndex ) const
 {
-	if( iEndIndex == -1 )
-		iEndIndex = GetLastRow();
-
 	int iNumHolds = 0;
 	for( int i=0; i<GetNumHoldNotes(); i++ )
 	{
@@ -517,7 +496,7 @@ void NoteData::Convert2sAnd3sToHoldNotes()
 			SetTapNote(t, r, TAP_EMPTY);	// clear the hold head marker
 
 			// search for end of HoldNote
-			FOREACH_NONEMPTY_ROW_IN_TRACK_RANGE( *this, t, j, r+1, 999999 )
+			FOREACH_NONEMPTY_ROW_IN_TRACK_RANGE( *this, t, j, r+1, MAX_NOTE_ROW )
 			{
 				// End hold on the next note we see.  This should be a hold_tail if the 
 				// data is in a consistent state, but doesn't have to be.
@@ -749,7 +728,7 @@ void NoteData::GetTapNoteRange( int iTrack, int iStartRow, int iEndRow, TrackMap
 
 bool NoteData::GetNextTapNoteRowForAllTracks( int &rowInOut ) const
 {
-	int iClosestNextRow = 999999;
+	int iClosestNextRow = MAX_NOTE_ROW;
 	bool bAnyHaveNextNote = false;
 	for( int t=0; t<GetNumTracks(); t++ )
 	{
@@ -757,6 +736,7 @@ bool NoteData::GetNextTapNoteRowForAllTracks( int &rowInOut ) const
 		if( GetNextTapNoteRowForTrack( t, iNewRowThisTrack ) )
 		{
 			bAnyHaveNextNote = true;
+			ASSERT( iNewRowThisTrack < MAX_NOTE_ROW );
 			iClosestNextRow = min( iClosestNextRow, iNewRowThisTrack );
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/stepmania/src/NoteData.h b/stepmania/src/NoteData.h
index b1c5ca5bf4..9fd69a3ce0 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/NoteData.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/NoteData.h
@@ -115,16 +115,16 @@ public:
 	float GetFirstBeat() const { return NoteRowToBeat( GetFirstRow() ); }
 	int GetLastRow() const;	// return the beat number of the last note
 	float GetLastBeat() const { return NoteRowToBeat( GetLastRow() ); }
-	int GetNumTapNotes( int iStartIndex = 0, int iEndIndex = -1 ) const;
-	int GetNumMines( int iStartIndex = 0, int iEndIndex = -1 ) const;
-	int GetNumHands( int iStartIndex = 0, int iEndIndex = -1 ) const;
-	int GetNumRowsWithTap( int iStartIndex = 0, int iEndIndex = -1 ) const;
-	int GetNumRowsWithTapOrHoldHead( int iStartIndex = 0, int iEndIndex = -1 ) const;
-	int GetNumN( int iMinTaps, int iStartIndex = 0, int iEndIndex = -1 ) const;
+	int GetNumTapNotes( int iStartIndex = 0, int iEndIndex = MAX_NOTE_ROW ) const;
+	int GetNumMines( int iStartIndex = 0, int iEndIndex = MAX_NOTE_ROW ) const;
+	int GetNumHands( int iStartIndex = 0, int iEndIndex = MAX_NOTE_ROW ) const;
+	int GetNumRowsWithTap( int iStartIndex = 0, int iEndIndex = MAX_NOTE_ROW ) const;
+	int GetNumRowsWithTapOrHoldHead( int iStartIndex = 0, int iEndIndex = MAX_NOTE_ROW ) const;
+	int GetNumN( int iMinTaps, int iStartIndex = 0, int iEndIndex = MAX_NOTE_ROW ) const;
 	// should hands also count as a jump?
-	int GetNumDoubles( int iStartIndex = 0, int iEndIndex = -1 ) const { return GetNumN( 2, iStartIndex, iEndIndex ); }
+	int GetNumDoubles( int iStartIndex = 0, int iEndIndex = MAX_NOTE_ROW ) const { return GetNumN( 2, iStartIndex, iEndIndex ); }
 	/* optimization: for the default of start to end, use the second (faster) */
-	int GetNumHoldNotes( const int iStartIndex, const int iEndIndex = -1 ) const;
+	int GetNumHoldNotes( const int iStartIndex, const int iEndIndex = MAX_NOTE_ROW ) const;
 	int GetNumHoldNotes() const { return m_HoldNotes.size(); }
 	int RowNeedsHands( int row ) const;
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/NoteDataUtil.cpp b/stepmania/src/NoteDataUtil.cpp
index 1ecad75556..bcd6d93e56 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/NoteDataUtil.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/NoteDataUtil.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ NoteType NoteDataUtil::GetSmallestNoteTypeForMeasure( const NoteData &n, int iMe
 		int iRowSpacing = int(roundf( fBeatSpacing * ROWS_PER_BEAT ));
 
 		bool bFoundSmallerNote = false;
-		for( int i=iMeasureStartIndex; i<=iMeasureLastIndex; i++ )	// for each index in this measure
+		// for each index in this measure
+		FOREACH_NONEMPTY_ROW_ALL_TRACKS_RANGE( n, i, iMeasureStartIndex, iMeasureLastIndex )
 		{
 			if( i % iRowSpacing == 0 )
 				continue;	// skip
@@ -209,7 +210,8 @@ void NoteDataUtil::GetSMNoteDataString( const NoteData &in_, CString &notes_out
 			iRowSpacing = 1;
 		else
 			iRowSpacing = int(roundf( NoteTypeToBeat(nt) * ROWS_PER_BEAT ));
-
+			// (verify first)
+			// iRowSpacing = BeatToNoteRow( NoteTypeToBeat(nt) );
 		sRet += ssprintf("  // measure %d\n", m+1);
 
 		const int iMeasureStartRow = m * ROWS_PER_MEASURE;
@@ -274,10 +276,8 @@ void NoteDataUtil::LoadTransformedSlidingWindow( const NoteData &in, NoteData &o
 	int iTrackOffsetMax = abs( iNewNumTracks - Original.GetNumTracks() );
 	int bOffsetIncreasing = true;
 
-	int iLastRow = Original.GetLastRow();
-
 	int iLastMeasure = 0;
-	for( int r=0; r<=iLastRow; )
+	FOREACH_NONEMPTY_ROW_ALL_TRACKS( Original, r )
 	{
 		// copy notes in this measure
 		for( int t=0; t<Original.GetNumTracks(); t++ )
@@ -287,9 +287,8 @@ void NoteDataUtil::LoadTransformedSlidingWindow( const NoteData &in, NoteData &o
 			const TapNote &tn = Original.GetTapNote( iOldTrack, r );
 			out.SetTapNote( iNewTrack, r, tn );
 		}
-		r++;
 
-		const int iMeasure = r / ROWS_PER_MEASURE;
+		const int iMeasure = (r+1) / ROWS_PER_MEASURE;
 		if( iMeasure / 4 != iLastMeasure / 4 ) // adjust sliding window every 4 measures
 		{
 			// See if there is a hold crossing the beginning of this measure