diff --git a/src/lib/file.cpp b/src/lib/file.cpp
index 08fa694..912fd1f 100644
--- a/src/lib/file.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/file.cpp
@@ -20,19 +20,14 @@
 #include <filesystem>
 #include <exception>
 #include <vector>
-#include <string> 
+#include <string>
 #include "tinyutf8/tinyutf8.h"
 #include "file.hpp"
 
 File::File(std::string path, char mode, uint64_t cursorPosition): mode(mode), path(path), cursorPosition(cursorPosition){
-    try{
-        std::filesystem::path filePath = path;
-        this->size = ErrorOr<uint64_t>(std::filesystem::file_size(filePath));
-    }catch(std::exception& e){
-        this->size = ErrorOr<uint64_t>(true, ErrorCodes::FILE_NOT_FOUND);
-        
-    }
-    
+    std::filesystem::path filePath = path;
+    this->size = ErrorOr<uint64_t>(std::filesystem::file_size(filePath));
+
     switch(this->mode){
         case 'w':
         case 'm':
@@ -48,25 +43,10 @@ File::File(std::string path, char mode, uint64_t cursorPosition): mode(mode), pa
         default:
             break;
     }
+    this->isOpen = true;
+    this->eof = false;
 }
 
-File::File(const File& file){
-    this->mode = file.getMode();
-    this->isOpen = file.isOpen;
-    this->eof = file.eof;
-    this->path = file.path;
-    this->cursorPosition = file.cursorPosition;
-    this->size = file.size;
-    
-    if(this->isOpen){
-        this->open();
-    }
-}
-
-File& File::operator=(const File& file){
-    File cpFile(file);
-    return cpFile;
-}
 
 void File::open(){
     switch(this->mode){
@@ -85,12 +65,6 @@ void File::open(){
             break;
     }
 
-    try{
-        std::filesystem::path filePath = this->path;
-        this->size = ErrorOr<uint64_t>(std::filesystem::file_size(filePath));
-    }catch(std::exception& e){
-        this->size = ErrorOr<uint64_t>(true, ErrorCodes::FILE_NOT_FOUND);
-    }
 }
 
 void File::close(){
@@ -98,10 +72,6 @@ void File::close(){
     this->isOpen = false;
 }
 
-char File::getMode() const{
-    return this->mode;
-}
-
 ErrorOr<uint8_t> File::readByte(){
     if(this->size.isError){
         return ErrorOr<uint8_t>(true, this->size.errorCode);
@@ -129,7 +99,7 @@ ErrorOr<std::vector<uint8_t>> File::read(uint64_t bytes){
     this->fileStream.seekg(this->cursorPosition);
 
     char* buffer = new char[bytes];
-    std::vector<uint8_t> data; 
+    std::vector<uint8_t> data;
     try{
         this->fileStream.read(buffer, bytes);
         for(uint64_t i=0; i<bytes; i++){
@@ -158,14 +128,12 @@ ErrorOr<tiny_utf8::string> File::readString(uint64_t bytes){
     return ErrorOr<tiny_utf8::string>(tiny_utf8::string(s));
 }
 
-ErrorOr<File> File::open(std::string path, char mode, uint64_t startPosition){
-    File file(path, mode, startPosition);
-    file.isOpen = true;
-    file.eof = false;
-
-    if(file.size.isError){
-        return ErrorOr<File>(true, file.size.errorCode); //if file is not found
+ErrorOr<File*> File::open(std::string path, char mode, uint64_t startPosition){
+    if (!std::filesystem::exists(path)) {
+        return ErrorOr<File*>(true, ErrorCodes::FILE_NOT_FOUND, nullptr);
     }
 
-    return ErrorOr<File>(file);
+    //TODO: check access perms
+
+    return ErrorOr<File*>(new File(path, mode, startPosition));
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/file.hpp b/src/lib/file.hpp
index 004cde6..f274d0f 100644
--- a/src/lib/file.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/file.hpp
@@ -45,12 +45,9 @@ class File {
         // may be error if not a regular file or size cannot be determined
         ErrorOr<uint64_t> size;
 
-        File() = default;
-        File(const File& file); 
-        File& operator=(const File& file);
+        File() {};
         void open();
         void close();
-        char getMode() const;
 
         // only applicable to read and edit modes
         // moves the cursor to the right of the read section
@@ -94,5 +91,5 @@ class File {
         //
         // A startPosition of 0xFFFFFFFF is considered to be the end of
         // the file whatever its size.
-        static ErrorOr<File> open(std::string path, char mode, uint64_t startPosition=0);
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+        static ErrorOr<File*> open(std::string path, char mode, uint64_t startPosition=0);
+};
diff --git a/src/test/file.cpp b/src/test/file.cpp
index 0375dad..214f7c4 100644
--- a/src/test/file.cpp
+++ b/src/test/file.cpp
@@ -21,11 +21,12 @@ int main(){
     std::cout << "################################################################################" << std::endl;
     std::cout << "File tests" << std::endl;
     std::cout << "################################################################################" << std::endl;
-    File file;
-    
+    File* file;
+
     //read test
-    file = File::open("../../resources/unicode_data/normal_utf-8", 'r').value;
-    tiny_utf8::string data = file.readString(file.size.value).value;
-    std::cout << file.size.isError << std::endl;
+    file = File::open("resources/unicode_data/normal_utf-8", 'r').value;
+    tiny_utf8::string data = file->readString(file->size.value).value;
+    std::cout << file->size.isError << std::endl;
     std::cout << data << std::endl;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+
+}