diff --git a/stepmania/src/Course.cpp b/stepmania/src/Course.cpp
index 9404f9b8b9..ed2d37480a 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Course.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Course.cpp
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ void Course::LoadFromCRSFile( CString sPath, CArray<Song*,Song*> &apSongs )
 
 	for( int i=0; i<msd.m_iNumValues; i++ )
 	{
-		CString sValueName = msd.m_szValuesAndParams[i][0];
-		CString* sParams = msd.m_sValuesAndParams[i];
+		CString sValueName = msd.m_sParams[i][0];
+		CString* sParams = msd.m_sParams[i];
 
 		// handle the data
 		if( 0 == stricmp(sValueName, "COURSE") )
diff --git a/stepmania/src/MsdFile.cpp b/stepmania/src/MsdFile.cpp
index f4030a1776..107ff30a33 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/MsdFile.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/MsdFile.cpp
@@ -15,13 +15,11 @@
 
 MsdFile::MsdFile()
 {
-	m_szFileString = NULL; 
 	m_iNumValues = 0;
 }
 
 MsdFile::~MsdFile()
 {
-	delete [] m_szFileString;
 }
 
 //returns true if successful, false otherwise
@@ -42,16 +40,16 @@ bool MsdFile::ReadFile( CString sNewPath )
 	CloseHandle( hFile );
 
 	// allocate a string to hold the file
-	delete [] m_szFileString;
-	m_szFileString = new char[iBufferSize];
+	char* szFileString = new char[iBufferSize];
+	char* szParams[MAX_VALUES][MAX_PARAMS_PER_VALUE];
 
 	FILE* fp = fopen(sNewPath, "r");
 	if( fp == NULL )
 		return false;
 
-	int iBytesRead = fread( m_szFileString, 1, iBufferSize, fp );
+	int iBytesRead = fread( szFileString, 1, iBufferSize, fp );
 
-	ASSERT( iBufferSize > iBytesRead );
+	ASSERT( iBufferSize > iBytesRead );		// why are these not always =?
 
 	m_iNumValues = 0;
 
@@ -59,7 +57,7 @@ bool MsdFile::ReadFile( CString sNewPath )
 	int i;
 	for( i=0; i<iBytesRead; i++ )
 	{
-		switch( m_szFileString[i] )
+		switch( szFileString[i] )
 		{
 		case '#':	// begins a new value
 			{
@@ -71,9 +69,9 @@ bool MsdFile::ReadFile( CString sNewPath )
 					/* Make sure this # is the first non-whitespace character on the line. */
 					bool FirstChar = true;
 					int j;
-					for(j = i-1; j >= 0 && !strchr("\r\n", m_szFileString[j]); --j)
+					for(j = i-1; j >= 0 && !strchr("\r\n", szFileString[j]); --j)
 					{
-						if(m_szFileString[j] == ' ' || m_szFileString[j] == '\t')
+						if(szFileString[j] == ' ' || szFileString[j] == '\t')
 							continue;
 
 						FirstChar = false;
@@ -84,45 +82,45 @@ bool MsdFile::ReadFile( CString sNewPath )
 						break;
 					}
 
-					for(j = i-1; j >= 0 && isspace(m_szFileString[j]); --j)
-					m_szFileString[j] = 0;
+					for(j = i-1; j >= 0 && isspace(szFileString[j]); --j)
+						szFileString[j] = 0;
 				}
 
 				ReadingValue=true;
 				m_iNumValues++;
 				int iCurValueIndex = m_iNumValues-1;
 				m_iNumParams[iCurValueIndex] = 1;
-				m_szValuesAndParams[iCurValueIndex][0] = &m_szFileString[i+1];
+				szParams[iCurValueIndex][0] = &szFileString[i+1];
 			}
 			break;
 		case ':':	// begins a new parameter
 			{
-				m_szFileString[i] = '\0';
+				szFileString[i] = '\0';
 				int iCurValueIndex = m_iNumValues-1;
 				m_iNumParams[iCurValueIndex] ++;
 				int iCurParamIndex = m_iNumParams[iCurValueIndex]-1;
-				m_szValuesAndParams[iCurValueIndex][iCurParamIndex] = &m_szFileString[i+1];
+				szParams[iCurValueIndex][iCurParamIndex] = &szFileString[i+1];
 			}
 			break;
 		case ';':	// ends a value
 			{
-				m_szFileString[i] = '\0';
+				szFileString[i] = '\0';
 				// fast forward until just before the next '#'
-				while( m_szFileString[i+1] != '#'  &&  i<iBytesRead )
+				while( szFileString[i+1] != '#'  &&  i<iBytesRead )
 					i++;
 				ReadingValue=false;
 			}
 			break;
 		case '/':
-			if( m_szFileString[i+1] == '/' )
+			if( szFileString[i+1] == '/' )
 			{
 				// advance until new line
 				for( ; i<iBytesRead; i++ )
 				{
-					if( m_szFileString[i] == '\n' )
+					if( szFileString[i] == '\n' )
 						break;
 					else
-						m_szFileString[i] = ' ';
+						szFileString[i] = ' ';
 				}
 			}
 			// fall through.  If we didn't take the if above, then this '/' is part of a parameter!
@@ -131,17 +129,18 @@ bool MsdFile::ReadFile( CString sNewPath )
 		}
 	}
 
-	m_szFileString[i] = '\0';
+	szFileString[i] = '\0';
 
 	for( i=0; i<m_iNumValues; i++ )
 	{
 		for( int j=0; j<m_iNumParams[i]; j++ )
 		{
-			m_sValuesAndParams[i][j] = m_szValuesAndParams[i][j];
+			m_sParams[i][j] = szParams[i][j];
 		}
 	}
 
 	fclose( fp );
+	delete [] szFileString;
 
 	return true;
 }
diff --git a/stepmania/src/MsdFile.h b/stepmania/src/MsdFile.h
index 4c826a3a7d..b626889f73 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/MsdFile.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/MsdFile.h
@@ -26,10 +26,7 @@ public:
 	//returns true if successful, false otherwise
 	bool ReadFile( CString sFilePath );
 
-	char* m_szFileString;
-
-	char* m_szValuesAndParams[MAX_VALUES][MAX_PARAMS_PER_VALUE];
-	CString m_sValuesAndParams[MAX_VALUES][MAX_PARAMS_PER_VALUE];
+	CString m_sParams[MAX_VALUES][MAX_PARAMS_PER_VALUE];
 
 	int m_iNumValues;	// tells how many values are valid
 	int m_iNumParams[MAX_VALUES];	// tells how many params this value has
diff --git a/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderDWI.cpp b/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderDWI.cpp
index 6685573464..166a5a7400 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderDWI.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderDWI.cpp
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ bool DWILoader::LoadFromDWIFile( CString sPath, Song &out )
 	for( int i=0; i<msd.m_iNumValues; i++ )
 	{
 		int iNumParams = msd.m_iNumParams[i];
-		CString* sParams = msd.m_sValuesAndParams[i];
+		CString* sParams = msd.m_sParams[i];
 		CString sValueName = sParams[0];
 
 		// handle the data
diff --git a/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderKSF.cpp b/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderKSF.cpp
index faf34c872f..39f1c0ce63 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderKSF.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderKSF.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ bool KSFLoader::LoadFromKSFFile( const CString &sPath, Notes &out )
 
 	for( int i=0; i<msd.m_iNumValues; i++ )
 	{
-		CString* sParams = msd.m_sValuesAndParams[i];
+		CString* sParams = msd.m_sParams[i];
 		CString sValueName = sParams[0];
 
 		// handle the data
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ bool KSFLoader::LoadFromDir( CString sDir, Song &out )
 
 	for( i=0; i<msd.m_iNumValues; i++ )
 	{
-		CString* sParams = msd.m_sValuesAndParams[i];
+		CString* sParams = msd.m_sParams[i];
 		CString sValueName = sParams[0];
 
 		// handle the data
diff --git a/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderSM.cpp b/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderSM.cpp
index 5c95c72b8a..39c7596a9a 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderSM.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderSM.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ bool SMLoader::LoadFromSMFile( CString sPath, Song &out )
 	for( i=0; i<msd.m_iNumValues; i++ )
 	{
 		int iNumParams = msd.m_iNumParams[i];
-		CString* sParams = msd.m_sValuesAndParams[i];
+		CString* sParams = msd.m_sParams[i];
 		CString sValueName = sParams[0];
 
 		// handle the data