diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Pipes/AbstractPipes.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Pipes/AbstractPipes.php
index 1ca85739f5..f2fd35eb43 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Pipes/AbstractPipes.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Pipes/AbstractPipes.php
@@ -29,6 +29,17 @@ abstract class AbstractPipes implements PipesInterface
     /** @var bool */
     private $blocked = true;
 
+    public function __construct($input)
+    {
+        if (is_resource($input)) {
+            $this->input = $input;
+        } elseif (is_string($input)) {
+            $this->inputBuffer = $input;
+        } else {
+            $this->inputBuffer = (string) $input;
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritdoc}
      */
@@ -71,4 +82,64 @@ abstract class AbstractPipes implements PipesInterface
 
         $this->blocked = false;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Writes input to stdin.
+     */
+    protected function write()
+    {
+        if (!isset($this->pipes[0])) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $e = array();
+        $r = null !== $this->input ? array($this->input) : $e;
+        $w = array($this->pipes[0]);
+
+        // let's have a look if something changed in streams
+        if (false === $n = @stream_select($r, $w, $e, 0, 0)) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        foreach ($w as $stdin) {
+            if (isset($this->inputBuffer[0])) {
+                $written = fwrite($stdin, $this->inputBuffer);
+                $this->inputBuffer = substr($this->inputBuffer, $written);
+                if (isset($this->inputBuffer[0])) {
+                    return array($this->pipes[0]);
+                }
+            }
+
+            foreach ($r as $input) {
+                for (;;) {
+                    $data = fread($input, self::CHUNK_SIZE);
+                    if (!isset($data[0])) {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    $written = fwrite($stdin, $data);
+                    $data = substr($data, $written);
+                    if (isset($data[0])) {
+                        $this->inputBuffer = $data;
+
+                        return array($this->pipes[0]);
+                    }
+                }
+                if (!isset($data[0]) && feof($input)) {
+                    // no more data to read on input resource
+                    // use an empty buffer in the next reads
+                    $this->input = null;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        // no input to read on resource, buffer is empty
+        if (null === $this->input && !isset($this->inputBuffer[0])) {
+            fclose($this->pipes[0]);
+            unset($this->pipes[0]);
+        }
+
+        if (!$w) {
+            return array($this->pipes[0]);
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Pipes/UnixPipes.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Pipes/UnixPipes.php
index 925f4f0b05..73146356d4 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Pipes/UnixPipes.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Pipes/UnixPipes.php
@@ -35,13 +35,7 @@ class UnixPipes extends AbstractPipes
         $this->ptyMode = (bool) $ptyMode;
         $this->disableOutput = (bool) $disableOutput;
 
-        if (is_resource($input)) {
-            $this->input = $input;
-        } else {
-            $this->input = fopen('php://temp', 'w+');
-            fwrite($this->input, $input);
-            fseek($this->input, 0);
-        }
+        parent::__construct($input);
     }
 
     public function __destruct()
@@ -100,36 +94,15 @@ class UnixPipes extends AbstractPipes
      */
     public function readAndWrite($blocking, $close = false)
     {
-        // only stdin is left open, job has been done !
-        // we can now close it
-        if (1 === count($this->pipes) && array(0) === array_keys($this->pipes)) {
-            fclose($this->pipes[0]);
-            unset($this->pipes[0]);
-        }
-
-        if (empty($this->pipes)) {
-            return array();
-        }
-
         $this->unblock();
+        $w = $this->write();
 
-        $read = array();
-
-        if (null !== $this->input) {
-            // if input is a resource, let's add it to stream_select argument to
-            // fill a buffer
-            $r = array_merge($this->pipes, array('input' => $this->input));
-        } else {
-            $r = $this->pipes;
-        }
-        // discard read on stdin
+        $read = $e = array();
+        $r = $this->pipes;
         unset($r[0]);
 
-        $w = isset($this->pipes[0]) ? array($this->pipes[0]) : null;
-        $e = null;
-
         // let's have a look if something changed in streams
-        if (false === $n = @stream_select($r, $w, $e, 0, $blocking ? Process::TIMEOUT_PRECISION * 1E6 : 0)) {
+        if ($r && false === $n = @stream_select($r, $w, $e, 0, $blocking ? Process::TIMEOUT_PRECISION * 1E6 : 0)) {
             // if a system call has been interrupted, forget about it, let's try again
             // otherwise, an error occurred, let's reset pipes
             if (!$this->hasSystemCallBeenInterrupted()) {
@@ -139,46 +112,26 @@ class UnixPipes extends AbstractPipes
             return $read;
         }
 
-        // nothing has changed
-        if (0 === $n) {
-            return $read;
-        }
-
         foreach ($r as $pipe) {
             // prior PHP 5.4 the array passed to stream_select is modified and
             // lose key association, we have to find back the key
-            $type = (false !== $found = array_search($pipe, $this->pipes)) ? $found : 'input';
-            $data = '';
-            if ($type !== 'input') {
-                while ('' !== $dataread = (string) fread($pipe, self::CHUNK_SIZE)) {
-                    $data .= $dataread;
-                }
-                // Remove extra null chars returned by fread
-                if ('' !== $data) {
-                    $read[$type] = rtrim($data, "\x00");
-                }
-            } elseif (isset($w[0])) {
-                stream_copy_to_stream($this->input, $w[0], 4096);
+            $read[$type = array_search($pipe, $this->pipes, true)] = '';
+
+            do {
+                $data = fread($pipe, self::CHUNK_SIZE);
+                $read[$type] .= $data;
+            } while (isset($data[0]));
+
+            if (!isset($read[$type][0])) {
+                unset($read[$type]);
             }
 
-            if (false === $data || (true === $close && feof($pipe) && '' === $data)) {
-                if ($type === 'input') {
-                    // no more data to read on input resource
-                    // use an empty buffer in the next reads
-                    $this->input = null;
-                } else {
-                    fclose($this->pipes[$type]);
-                    unset($this->pipes[$type]);
-                }
+            if ($close && feof($pipe)) {
+                fclose($pipe);
+                unset($this->pipes[$type]);
             }
         }
 
-        // no input to read on resource and stdin still open
-        if (null === $this->input && isset($this->pipes[0])) {
-            fclose($this->pipes[0]);
-            unset($this->pipes[0]);
-        }
-
         return $read;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Pipes/WindowsPipes.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Pipes/WindowsPipes.php
index 1472f8c6c4..bedac8feed 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Pipes/WindowsPipes.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Pipes/WindowsPipes.php
@@ -52,17 +52,13 @@ class WindowsPipes extends AbstractPipes
                 Process::STDERR => tempnam(sys_get_temp_dir(), 'err_sf_proc'),
             );
             foreach ($this->files as $offset => $file) {
-                if (false === $file || false === $this->fileHandles[$offset] = fopen($file, 'rb')) {
+                if (false === $file || false === $this->fileHandles[$offset] = @fopen($file, 'rb')) {
                     throw new RuntimeException('A temporary file could not be opened to write the process output to, verify that your TEMP environment variable is writable');
                 }
             }
         }
 
-        if (is_resource($input)) {
-            $this->input = $input;
-        } else {
-            $this->inputBuffer = $input;
-        }
+        parent::__construct($input);
     }
 
     public function __destruct()
@@ -109,28 +105,22 @@ class WindowsPipes extends AbstractPipes
      */
     public function readAndWrite($blocking, $close = false)
     {
-        $this->write($blocking, $close);
+        $this->unblock();
+        $this->write();
 
         $read = array();
-        $fh = $this->fileHandles;
-        foreach ($fh as $type => $fileHandle) {
-            if (0 !== fseek($fileHandle, $this->readBytes[$type])) {
-                continue;
-            }
-            $data = '';
-            $dataread = null;
-            while (!feof($fileHandle)) {
-                if (false !== $dataread = fread($fileHandle, self::CHUNK_SIZE)) {
-                    $data .= $dataread;
-                }
-            }
-            if (0 < $length = strlen($data)) {
-                $this->readBytes[$type] += $length;
+        if ($this->fileHandles && $blocking) {
+            usleep(Process::TIMEOUT_PRECISION * 1E6);
+        }
+        foreach ($this->fileHandles as $type => $fileHandle) {
+            $data = stream_get_contents($fileHandle, -1, $this->readBytes[$type]);
+
+            if (isset($data[0])) {
+                $this->readBytes[$type] += strlen($data);
                 $read[$type] = $data;
             }
-
-            if (false === $dataread || (true === $close && feof($fileHandle) && '' === $data)) {
-                fclose($this->fileHandles[$type]);
+            if ($close) {
+                fclose($fileHandle);
                 unset($this->fileHandles[$type]);
             }
         }
@@ -143,7 +133,7 @@ class WindowsPipes extends AbstractPipes
      */
     public function areOpen()
     {
-        return (bool) $this->pipes && (bool) $this->fileHandles;
+        return $this->pipes && $this->fileHandles;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -183,71 +173,4 @@ class WindowsPipes extends AbstractPipes
         }
         $this->files = array();
     }
-
-    /**
-     * Writes input to stdin.
-     *
-     * @param bool $blocking
-     * @param bool $close
-     */
-    private function write($blocking, $close)
-    {
-        if (empty($this->pipes)) {
-            return;
-        }
-
-        $this->unblock();
-
-        $r = null !== $this->input ? array('input' => $this->input) : null;
-        $w = isset($this->pipes[0]) ? array($this->pipes[0]) : null;
-        $e = null;
-
-        // let's have a look if something changed in streams
-        if (false === $n = @stream_select($r, $w, $e, 0, $blocking ? Process::TIMEOUT_PRECISION * 1E6 : 0)) {
-            // if a system call has been interrupted, forget about it, let's try again
-            // otherwise, an error occurred, let's reset pipes
-            if (!$this->hasSystemCallBeenInterrupted()) {
-                $this->pipes = array();
-            }
-
-            return;
-        }
-
-        // nothing has changed
-        if (0 === $n) {
-            return;
-        }
-
-        if (null !== $w && 0 < count($r)) {
-            $data = '';
-            while ($dataread = fread($r['input'], self::CHUNK_SIZE)) {
-                $data .= $dataread;
-            }
-
-            $this->inputBuffer .= $data;
-
-            if (false === $data || (true === $close && feof($r['input']) && '' === $data)) {
-                // no more data to read on input resource
-                // use an empty buffer in the next reads
-                $this->input = null;
-            }
-        }
-
-        if (null !== $w && 0 < count($w)) {
-            while (strlen($this->inputBuffer)) {
-                $written = fwrite($w[0], $this->inputBuffer, 2 << 18);
-                if ($written > 0) {
-                    $this->inputBuffer = (string) substr($this->inputBuffer, $written);
-                } else {
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
-        // no input to read on resource, buffer is empty and stdin still open
-        if ('' === $this->inputBuffer && null === $this->input && isset($this->pipes[0])) {
-            fclose($this->pipes[0]);
-            unset($this->pipes[0]);
-        }
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Tests/ProcessTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Tests/ProcessTest.php
index 652246267c..501662f8ac 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Tests/ProcessTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Process/Tests/ProcessTest.php
@@ -192,9 +192,6 @@ class ProcessTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
      */
     public function testSetStreamAsInput($code, $size)
     {
-        if ('\\' === DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR) {
-            $this->markTestIncomplete('This test fails with a timeout on Windows, can someone investigate please?');
-        }
         $expected = str_repeat(str_repeat('*', 1024), $size).'!';
         $expectedLength = (1024 * $size) + 1;
 
@@ -791,10 +788,7 @@ class ProcessTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
 
     public function testIdleTimeoutNotExceededWhenOutputIsSent()
     {
-        if ('\\' === DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR) {
-            $this->markTestIncomplete('This test fails with a timeout on Windows, can someone investigate please?');
-        }
-        $process = $this->getProcess(sprintf('%s -r %s', self::$phpBin, escapeshellarg('while (true) {echo "foo\n"; usleep(10000);}')));
+        $process = $this->getProcess(sprintf('%s -r %s', self::$phpBin, escapeshellarg('while (true) {echo \'foo \'; usleep(1000);}')));
         $process->setTimeout(1);
         $process->start();
 
@@ -802,15 +796,15 @@ class ProcessTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
             usleep(1000);
         }
 
-        $process->setIdleTimeout(0.1);
+        $process->setIdleTimeout(0.5);
 
         try {
             $process->wait();
             $this->fail('A timeout exception was expected.');
-        } catch (ProcessTimedOutException $ex) {
-            $this->assertTrue($ex->isGeneralTimeout(), 'A general timeout is expected.');
-            $this->assertFalse($ex->isIdleTimeout(), 'No idle timeout is expected.');
-            $this->assertEquals(1, $ex->getExceededTimeout());
+        } catch (ProcessTimedOutException $e) {
+            $this->assertTrue($e->isGeneralTimeout(), 'A general timeout is expected.');
+            $this->assertFalse($e->isIdleTimeout(), 'No idle timeout is expected.');
+            $this->assertEquals(1, $e->getExceededTimeout());
         }
     }