diff --git a/libretroshare/src/pqi/p3cfgmgr.cc b/libretroshare/src/pqi/p3cfgmgr.cc
index f854c8f4e..33593550c 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/pqi/p3cfgmgr.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/pqi/p3cfgmgr.cc
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 #include "pqi/pqibin.h"
 #include "pqi/pqiarchive.h"
 #include "pqi/pqistreamer.h"
+#include "pqi/pqinotify.h"
+#include <errno.h>
 
 #include "serialiser/rsconfigitems.h"
 
@@ -505,8 +507,26 @@ bool	p3Config::saveConfiguration()
 
 	std::cerr << "renaming " << fnametmp.c_str() << " to " << fname.c_str() << std::endl ;
 
-	if(0 != rename(fnametmp.c_str(),fname.c_str()))
+#ifdef WIN32
+	std::wstring from,to ;
+	for(std::string::const_iterator it = fnametmp.begin(); it!=fnametmp.end();++it) from += *it;
+	for(std::string::const_iterator it = fname   .begin(); it!=fname   .end();++it) to   += *it;
+
+	int err = !MoveFileEx(from.c_str(), to.c_str(), MOVEFILE_REPLACE_EXISTING) ;
+#else
+	int err = rename(fnametmp.c_str(),fname.c_str());
+#endif
+	if(0 != err)
+	{
+	   std::ostringstream errlog;
+#ifdef WIN32
+	   errlog << err << ", " << errno ;
+#else
+	   errlog << err << :", " << GetLastError() ;
+#endif
+	   getPqiNotify()->AddSysMessage(0, RS_SYS_WARNING, "File rename error", "Error while renaming file " + fname + ": got error "+errlog.str());
 		return false ;
+	}
 
 	std::cerr << "Successfully wrote p3config file " << fname.c_str() << std::endl ;
 	/* else okay */
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/services/p3chatservice.cc b/libretroshare/src/services/p3chatservice.cc
index 2ad6888e0..9ae6a1a34 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/services/p3chatservice.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/services/p3chatservice.cc
@@ -459,7 +459,15 @@ bool p3ChatService::saveConfiguration()
 	setHash(out->gethash());
 	delete pa_out;	
 
+#ifdef WIN32
+	std::wstring from,to ;
+	for(std::string::const_iterator it = msgfiletmp.begin(); it!=msgfiletmp.end();++it) from += *it;
+	for(std::string::const_iterator it = msgfile   .begin(); it!=msgfile   .end();++it) to   += *it;
+
+	if(!MoveFileEx(from.c_str(), to.c_str(), MOVEFILE_REPLACE_EXISTING)) 
+#else
 	if(0 != rename(msgfiletmp.c_str(),msgfile.c_str()))
+#endif
 		return false ;
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/services/p3distrib.cc b/libretroshare/src/services/p3distrib.cc
index 81c575e3d..0b70a2a85 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/services/p3distrib.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/services/p3distrib.cc
@@ -788,7 +788,15 @@ void 	p3GroupDistrib::locked_publishPendingMsgs()
 	mPendingPublish.clear();
 	delete streamer;
 
+#ifdef WIN32
+	std::wstring from,to ;
+	for(std::string::const_iterator it = filenametmp.begin(); it!=filenametmp.end();++it) from += *it;
+	for(std::string::const_iterator it = filename   .begin(); it!=filename   .end();++it) to   += *it;
+
+	if(!MoveFileEx(from.c_str(), to.c_str(), MOVEFILE_REPLACE_EXISTING)) 
+#else
 	if(0 != rename(filenametmp.c_str(),filename.c_str()))
+#endif
 		std::cerr << "Could not rename file " << filenametmp << " into " << filename << std::endl ;
 	else
 		std::cerr << "Successfull wrote file " << filename << std::endl ;
@@ -925,7 +933,15 @@ void 	p3GroupDistrib::publishDistribGroups()
 	/* cleanup */
 	delete streamer;
 
+#ifdef WIN32
+	std::wstring from,to ;
+	for(std::string::const_iterator it = filenametmp.begin(); it!=filenametmp.end();++it) from += *it;
+	for(std::string::const_iterator it = filename   .begin(); it!=filename   .end();++it) to   += *it;
+
+	if(!MoveFileEx(from.c_str(), to.c_str(), MOVEFILE_REPLACE_EXISTING)) 
+#else
 	if(0 != rename(filenametmp.c_str(),filename.c_str()))
+#endif
 		std::cerr << "Could not rename file " << filenametmp << " into " << filename << std::endl ;
 	else
 		std::cerr << "Successfull wrote file " << filename << std::endl ;
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/services/p3msgservice.cc b/libretroshare/src/services/p3msgservice.cc
index 0dc60d5bd..baee43b05 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/services/p3msgservice.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/services/p3msgservice.cc
@@ -289,7 +289,15 @@ bool    p3MsgService::saveConfiguration()
 	if(!written)
 		return false ;
 
+#ifdef WIN32
+	std::wstring from,to ;
+	for(std::string::const_iterator it = msgfiletmp.begin(); it!=msgfiletmp.end();++it) from += *it;
+	for(std::string::const_iterator it = msgfile   .begin(); it!=msgfile   .end();++it) to   += *it;
+
+	if(!MoveFileEx(from.c_str(), to.c_str(), MOVEFILE_REPLACE_EXISTING)) 
+#else
 	if(0 != rename(msgfiletmp.c_str(),msgfile.c_str()))
+#endif
 		return false ;
 		
 	return true;