diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 1e46da3..2da68f7 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -34,5 +34,6 @@ def pytest_generate_tests(metafunc):
     if 'start_method' in metafunc.fixturenames:
         from multiprocessing import get_all_start_methods
         methods = get_all_start_methods()
-        methods.remove('fork')
+        if 'fork' in methods:  # fork not available on windows, so check before removing
+            methods.remove('fork')
         metafunc.parametrize("start_method", methods, scope='module')
diff --git a/tests/test_discovery.py b/tests/test_discovery.py
index 238633f..8a217dd 100644
--- a/tests/test_discovery.py
+++ b/tests/test_discovery.py
@@ -45,13 +45,15 @@ async def hi():
 
 
 async def say_hello(other_actor):
-    await trio.sleep(0.4)  # wait for other actor to spawn
+    await trio.sleep(1)  # wait for other actor to spawn
     async with tractor.find_actor(other_actor) as portal:
+        assert portal is not None
         return await portal.run(__name__, 'hi')
 
 
 async def say_hello_use_wait(other_actor):
     async with tractor.wait_for_actor(other_actor) as portal:
+        assert portal is not None
         result = await portal.run(__name__, 'hi')
         return result
 
diff --git a/tests/test_multi_program.py b/tests/test_multi_program.py
index 299a698..f68e3ac 100644
--- a/tests/test_multi_program.py
+++ b/tests/test_multi_program.py
@@ -8,8 +8,19 @@ import subprocess
 
 import pytest
 import tractor
+import platform
 from conftest import tractor_test
 
+# Sending signal.SIGINT on subprocess fails on windows. Use CTRL_* alternatives
+if platform.system() == 'Windows':
+    _KILL_SIGNAL = signal.CTRL_BREAK_EVENT
+    _INT_SIGNAL = signal.CTRL_C_EVENT
+    _INT_RETURN_CODE = 3221225786
+else:
+    _KILL_SIGNAL = signal.SIGKILL
+    _INT_SIGNAL = signal.SIGINT
+    _INT_RETURN_CODE = 1
+
 
 def sig_prog(proc, sig):
     "Kill the actor-process with ``sig``."
@@ -18,8 +29,7 @@ def sig_prog(proc, sig):
     if not proc.poll():
         # TODO: why sometimes does SIGINT not work on teardown?
         # seems to happen only when trace logging enabled?
-        proc.send_signal(signal.SIGKILL)
-
+        proc.send_signal(_KILL_SIGNAL)
     ret = proc.wait()
     assert ret
 
@@ -33,25 +43,33 @@ def daemon(loglevel, testdir, arb_addr):
             arb_addr,
             "'{}'".format(loglevel) if loglevel else None)
     ]
+    kwargs = dict()
+    if platform.system() == 'Windows':
+        # without this, tests hang on windows forever
+        kwargs['creationflags'] = subprocess.CREATE_NEW_PROCESS_GROUP
+
     proc = testdir.popen(
         cmdargs,
         stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
         stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+        **kwargs,
     )
     assert not proc.returncode
     wait = 0.6 if sys.version_info < (3, 7) else 0.4
     time.sleep(wait)
     yield proc
-    sig_prog(proc, signal.SIGINT)
+    sig_prog(proc, _INT_SIGNAL)
 
 
 def test_abort_on_sigint(daemon):
     assert daemon.returncode is None
     time.sleep(0.1)
-    sig_prog(daemon, signal.SIGINT)
-    assert daemon.returncode == 1
+    sig_prog(daemon, _INT_SIGNAL)
+    assert daemon.returncode == _INT_RETURN_CODE
     # XXX: oddly, couldn't get capfd.readouterr() to work here?
-    assert "KeyboardInterrupt" in str(daemon.stderr.read())
+    if platform.system() != 'Windows':
+        # don't check stderr on windows as its empty when sending CTRL_C_EVENT
+        assert "KeyboardInterrupt" in str(daemon.stderr.read())
 
 
 @tractor_test
diff --git a/tractor/_spawn.py b/tractor/_spawn.py
index 859cc4e..2d8a4bf 100644
--- a/tractor/_spawn.py
+++ b/tractor/_spawn.py
@@ -24,10 +24,9 @@ def try_set_start_method(name: str) -> mp.context.BaseContext:
     global _ctx
 
     allowed = mp.get_all_start_methods()
-    assert name in allowed
 
     if name not in allowed:
-        name == 'spawn'
+        name = 'spawn'
     elif name == 'fork':
         raise ValueError(
             "`fork` is unsupported due to incompatibility with `trio`"
@@ -35,6 +34,8 @@ def try_set_start_method(name: str) -> mp.context.BaseContext:
     elif name == 'forkserver':
         _forkserver_hackzorz.override_stdlib()
 
+    assert name in allowed
+
     _ctx = mp.get_context(name)
     return _ctx