diff --git a/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/create.rb b/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/create.rb
index d5688b6e7..718159149 100644
--- a/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/create.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/create.rb
@@ -1,26 +1,26 @@
 test_name "should create an email alias"
 
-name = "pl#{rand(999999).to_i}"
+confine :except, :platform => 'windows' 
 
+name = "pl#{rand(999999).to_i}"
 agents.each do |agent|
   teardown do
     #(teardown) restore the alias file
     on(agent, "mv /tmp/aliases /etc/aliases", :acceptable_exit_codes => [0,1])
   end
 
   #------- SETUP -------#
   step "(setup) backup alias file"
   on(agent, "cp /etc/aliases /tmp/aliases", :acceptable_exit_codes => [0,1])
 
   #------- TESTS -------#
   step "create a mailalias with puppet"
   args = ['ensure=present',
           'recipient="foo,bar,baz"']
   on(agent, puppet_resource('mailalias', name, args))
 
   step "verify the alias exists"
   on(agent, "cat /etc/aliases")  do |res|
     assert_match(/#{name}:.*foo,bar,baz/, res.stdout, "mailalias not in aliases file")
   end
-
-end
+end  
diff --git a/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/destroy.rb b/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/destroy.rb
index 0e247a01e..65ac57507 100644
--- a/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/destroy.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/destroy.rb
@@ -1,35 +1,35 @@
 test_name "should delete an email alias"
 
-name = "pl#{rand(999999).to_i}"
+confine :except, :platform => 'windows'
 
+name = "pl#{rand(999999).to_i}"
 agents.each do |agent|
   teardown do
     #(teardown) restore the alias file
     on(agent, "mv /tmp/aliases /etc/aliases", :acceptable_exit_codes => [0,1])
   end
 
   #------- SETUP -------#
   step "(setup) backup alias file"
   on(agent, "cp /etc/aliases /tmp/aliases", :acceptable_exit_codes => [0,1])
 
   step "(setup) create a mailalias"
   on(agent, "echo '#{name}: foo,bar,baz' >> /etc/aliases")
 
   step "(setup) verify the alias exists"
   on(agent, "cat /etc/aliases")  do |res|
     assert_match(/#{name}:.*foo,bar,baz/, res.stdout, "mailalias not in aliases file")
   end
 
   #------- TESTS -------#
   step "delete the aliases database with puppet"
   args = ['ensure=absent',
           'recipient="foo,bar,baz"']
   on(agent, puppet_resource('mailalias', name, args))
 
 
   step "verify the alias is absent"
   on(agent, "cat /etc/aliases")  do |res|
     assert_no_match(/#{name}:.*foo,bar,baz/, res.stdout, "mailalias was not removed from aliases file")
   end
-
-end
+end  
diff --git a/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/modify.rb b/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/modify.rb
index b2178e0c3..41c52f9db 100644
--- a/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/modify.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/modify.rb
@@ -1,35 +1,35 @@
 test_name "should modify an email alias"
 
-name = "pl#{rand(999999).to_i}"
+confine :except, :platform => 'windows'
 
+name = "pl#{rand(999999).to_i}"
 agents.each do |agent|
   teardown do
     #(teardown) restore the alias file
     on(agent, "mv /tmp/aliases /etc/aliases", :acceptable_exit_codes => [0,1])
   end
 
   #------- SETUP -------#
   step "(setup) backup alias file"
   on(agent, "cp /etc/aliases /tmp/aliases", :acceptable_exit_codes => [0,1])
 
   step "(setup) create a mailalias"
   on(agent, "echo '#{name}: foo,bar,baz' >> /etc/aliases")
 
   step "(setup) verify the alias exists"
   on(agent, "cat /etc/aliases")  do |res|
     assert_match(/#{name}:.*foo,bar,baz/, res.stdout, "mailalias not in aliases file")
   end
 
   #------- TESTS -------#
   step "modify the aliases database with puppet"
   args = ['ensure=present',
           'recipient="foo,bar,baz,blarvitz"']
   on(agent, puppet_resource('mailalias', name, args))
 
 
   step "verify the updated alias is present"
   on(agent, "cat /etc/aliases")  do |res|
     assert_match(/#{name}:.*foo,bar,baz,blarvitz/, res.stdout, "updated mailalias not in aliases file")
   end
-
 end
diff --git a/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/query.rb b/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/query.rb
index 0b286a82b..afadc370a 100644
--- a/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/query.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/resource/mailalias/query.rb
@@ -1,29 +1,29 @@
 test_name "should be able to find an exisitng email alias"
 
-name = "pl#{rand(999999).to_i}"
+confine :except, :platform => 'windows'
 
+name = "pl#{rand(999999).to_i}"
 agents.each do |agent|
   teardown do
     #(teardown) restore the alias file
     on(agent, "mv /tmp/aliases /etc/aliases", :acceptable_exit_codes => [0,1])
   end
 
   #------- SETUP -------#
   step "(setup) backup alias file"
   on(agent, "cp /etc/aliases /tmp/aliases", :acceptable_exit_codes => [0,1])
 
   step "(setup) create a mailalias"
   on(agent, "echo '#{name}: foo,bar,baz' >> /etc/aliases")
 
   step "(setup) verify the alias exists"
   on(agent, "cat /etc/aliases")  do |res|
     assert_match(/#{name}:.*foo,bar,baz/, res.stdout, "mailalias not in aliases file")
   end
 
   #------- TESTS -------#
   step "query for the mail alias with puppet"
   on(agent, puppet_resource('mailalias', name)) do
     fail_test "didn't find the scheduled_task #{name}" unless stdout.include? 'present'
   end
-
 end