diff --git a/source/net/filebot/Settings.java b/source/net/filebot/Settings.java
index 55219da3..a69b7427 100644
--- a/source/net/filebot/Settings.java
+++ b/source/net/filebot/Settings.java
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import java.util.prefs.Preferences;
 import net.filebot.UserFiles.FileChooser;
 import net.filebot.archive.Archive.Extractor;
 import net.filebot.cli.ArgumentBean;
-import net.filebot.util.ExceptionUtilities;
 import net.filebot.util.PreferencesList;
 import net.filebot.util.PreferencesMap;
 import net.filebot.util.PreferencesMap.PreferencesEntry;
@@ -315,7 +314,7 @@ public final class Settings {
 			// remove entries
 			prefs.clear();
 		} catch (BackingStoreException e) {
-			throw ExceptionUtilities.asRuntimeException(e);
+			debug.warning(e.getMessage());
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/source/net/filebot/util/ExceptionUtilities.java b/source/net/filebot/util/ExceptionUtilities.java
index e81befac..318e03f2 100644
--- a/source/net/filebot/util/ExceptionUtilities.java
+++ b/source/net/filebot/util/ExceptionUtilities.java
@@ -1,36 +1,21 @@
 package net.filebot.util;
 
-import static java.util.Arrays.*;
-
-import java.io.PrintWriter;
-import java.io.StringWriter;
-
 public final class ExceptionUtilities {
 
-	public static <T extends Throwable> T shiftStackTrace(T t, int offset) {
-		StackTraceElement[] stackTrace = t.getStackTrace();
-		if (offset < stackTrace.length) {
-			t.setStackTrace(copyOfRange(stackTrace, offset, stackTrace.length));
-		}
-		return t;
-	}
-
 	public static Throwable getRootCause(Throwable t) {
 		while (t.getCause() != null) {
 			t = t.getCause();
 		}
-
 		return t;
 	}
 
 	public static <T extends Throwable> T findCause(Throwable t, Class<T> type) {
 		while (t != null) {
-			if (type.isInstance(t))
+			if (type.isInstance(t)) {
 				return type.cast(t);
-
+			}
 			t = t.getCause();
 		}
-
 		return null;
 	}
 
@@ -39,40 +24,13 @@ public final class ExceptionUtilities {
 	}
 
 	public static String getMessage(Throwable t) {
-		String message = t.getMessage();
-
-		if (message == null || message.isEmpty()) {
-			message = t.toString();
+		String m = t.getMessage();
+		if (m == null || m.isEmpty()) {
+			m = t.toString();
 		}
-
-		return message;
+		return m;
 	}
 
-	public static String getStackTrace(Throwable t) {
-		StringWriter buffer = new StringWriter();
-		t.printStackTrace(new PrintWriter(buffer, true));
-		return buffer.getBuffer().toString();
-	}
-
-	public static <T extends Throwable> T wrap(Throwable t, Class<T> type) {
-		if (type.isInstance(t)) {
-			return type.cast(t);
-		}
-
-		try {
-			return type.getConstructor(Throwable.class).newInstance(t);
-		} catch (Exception e) {
-			throw new IllegalArgumentException(e);
-		}
-	}
-
-	public static RuntimeException asRuntimeException(Throwable t) {
-		return wrap(t, RuntimeException.class);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Dummy constructor to prevent instantiation.
-	 */
 	private ExceptionUtilities() {
 		throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
 	}
diff --git a/source/net/filebot/util/PreferencesMap.java b/source/net/filebot/util/PreferencesMap.java
index 4559862f..50c0b431 100644
--- a/source/net/filebot/util/PreferencesMap.java
+++ b/source/net/filebot/util/PreferencesMap.java
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import java.io.ObjectInputStream;
 import java.io.ObjectOutputStream;
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
-import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collection;
@@ -202,9 +201,6 @@ public class PreferencesMap<T> implements Map<String, T> {
 			if (value != null) {
 				try {
 					return constructor.newInstance(value);
-				} catch (InvocationTargetException e) {
-					// try to throw the cause directly, e.g. NumberFormatException
-					throw ExceptionUtilities.asRuntimeException(e.getCause());
 				} catch (Exception e) {
 					throw new RuntimeException(e);
 				}
diff --git a/source/net/filebot/util/ui/SimpleLabelProvider.java b/source/net/filebot/util/ui/SimpleLabelProvider.java
index e16f3896..56b981d4 100644
--- a/source/net/filebot/util/ui/SimpleLabelProvider.java
+++ b/source/net/filebot/util/ui/SimpleLabelProvider.java
@@ -1,15 +1,11 @@
 
 package net.filebot.util.ui;
 
-
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 
 import javax.swing.Icon;
 
-import net.filebot.util.ExceptionUtilities;
-
-
 /**
  * <code>LabelProvider</code> based on reflection.
  */
@@ -18,7 +14,6 @@ public class SimpleLabelProvider<T> implements LabelProvider<T> {
 	private final Method getIconMethod;
 	private final Method getTextMethod;
 
-
 	/**
 	 * Factory method for {@link #SimpleLabelProvider(Class)}.
 	 *
@@ -28,33 +23,32 @@ public class SimpleLabelProvider<T> implements LabelProvider<T> {
 		return new SimpleLabelProvider<T>(type);
 	}
 
-
 	/**
-	 * Create a new LabelProvider which will use the <code>getText</code>, <code>getName</code> or <code>toString</code>
-	 * method for text and the <code>getIcon</code> method for the
-	 * icon.
+	 * Create a new LabelProvider which will use the <code>getText</code>, <code>getName</code> or <code>toString</code> method for text and the <code>getIcon</code> method for the icon.
 	 *
-	 * @param type a class that has one of the text methods and the icon method
+	 * @param type
+	 *            a class that has one of the text methods and the icon method
 	 */
 	public SimpleLabelProvider(Class<T> type) {
 		getTextMethod = findAnyMethod(type, "getText", "getName", "toString");
 		getIconMethod = findAnyMethod(type, "getIcon");
 	}
 
-
 	/**
 	 * Create a new LabelProvider which will use a specified method of a given class
 	 *
-	 * @param type a class with the specified method
-	 * @param getText a method name such as <code>getText</code>
-	 * @param getIcon a method name such as <code>getIcon</code>
+	 * @param type
+	 *            a class with the specified method
+	 * @param getText
+	 *            a method name such as <code>getText</code>
+	 * @param getIcon
+	 *            a method name such as <code>getIcon</code>
 	 */
 	public SimpleLabelProvider(Class<T> type, String getText, String getIcon) {
 		getTextMethod = findAnyMethod(type, getText);
 		getIconMethod = findAnyMethod(type, getIcon);
 	}
 
-
 	private Method findAnyMethod(Class<T> type, String... names) {
 		for (String name : names) {
 			try {
@@ -67,23 +61,21 @@ public class SimpleLabelProvider<T> implements LabelProvider<T> {
 		throw new IllegalArgumentException("Method not found: " + Arrays.toString(names));
 	}
 
-
 	@Override
 	public String getText(T value) {
 		try {
 			return (String) getTextMethod.invoke(value);
 		} catch (Exception e) {
-			throw ExceptionUtilities.asRuntimeException(e);
+			throw new RuntimeException(e);
 		}
 	}
 
-
 	@Override
 	public Icon getIcon(T value) {
 		try {
 			return (Icon) getIconMethod.invoke(value);
 		} catch (Exception e) {
-			throw ExceptionUtilities.asRuntimeException(e);
+			throw new RuntimeException(e);
 		}
 	}