diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 961217f..6be7f52 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -115,7 +115,8 @@ set(SOURCES
 include_directories(${SRCDIR} ${EXTERNAL} ${FLTKINCDIR} ${FLTKLIBDIR})
 
 if(WIN32)
-    add_executable(${PROJECT_NAME} WIN32 ${SOURCES})
+    enable_language(RC)
+    add_executable(${PROJECT_NAME} WIN32 ${SOURCES} assets/windows/app_icon.rc)
 else()
     add_executable(${PROJECT_NAME} ${SOURCES})
 endif()
diff --git a/assets/windows/app_icon.rc b/assets/windows/app_icon.rc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76fa796
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/windows/app_icon.rc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MAINICON ICON "app_icon.ico"
diff --git a/src/csvapplication.cpp b/src/csvapplication.cpp
index adb49bf..c1477f7 100644
--- a/src/csvapplication.cpp
+++ b/src/csvapplication.cpp
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ CsvApplication::CsvApplication() {
 		std::string tmp_key = TCRUNCHER_PREF_RECENT_FILES_STUB + std::to_string(i);
 		std::string tmp_val = getPreference(&preferences, tmp_key, "");
 		if( tmp_val != "" ) {
-			std::filesystem::path recent_file(tmp_val);
+			std::filesystem::path recent_file = std::filesystem::u8path(tmp_val);
 			if( std::filesystem::exists(recent_file) ) {
 				recentFiles.add(tmp_val);
 			}
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ bool CsvApplication::splitCsvFiles() {
 				bool splitFileExists = false;
 				for(int i=0; i<numOfFiles; ++i) {
 					filename = splittedFileName(pathWithoutExtension, extension, i, digitalExtensionLength);
-					fileExistsTest.open(filename.c_str());
+					Helper::openInputStream(fileExistsTest, filename);
 					if( fileExistsTest.good() ) {
 						splitFileExists = true;
 						msg = "File " + Helper::getBasename(filename) + " does already exist!";
@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ bool CsvApplication::saveFile(bool saveAs, CsvApplication::SaveType type, bool f
 			}
 			
 			// File exists?
-			fileExistsTest.open(fn.c_str());
+			Helper::openInputStream(fileExistsTest, fn);
 			if( fileExistsTest.good() ) {
 				// File exists!
 				choice = myFlChoice("Confirmation", "File already exists. Overwrite it?", {"Yes", "No"});
diff --git a/src/csvmenu.cpp b/src/csvmenu.cpp
index f7e3fcf..4bbcfc7 100644
--- a/src/csvmenu.cpp
+++ b/src/csvmenu.cpp
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ void CsvMenu::updateOpenRecentMenu(std::vector<std::string> files) {
 			std::string item_tpl = "&File/" TCRUNCHER_MENUTEXT_OPEN_RECENT "/&";
 			int i = 0;
 			for( auto filepath : files ) {
-				std::string filename_only = std::filesystem::path(filepath).filename().u8string();
+				std::string filename_only = std::filesystem::u8path(filepath).filename().u8string();
 				std::string item = item_tpl + filename_only; 					// + " (" + std::to_string(i+1) + ")";
 				add(item.c_str(), FL_COMMAND + ('1' + i), MyMenuCallback, (void *) &(INTEGERS[i]), 0);
 				++i;
diff --git a/src/csvtable.cpp b/src/csvtable.cpp
index 5b830e8..95c134e 100644
--- a/src/csvtable.cpp
+++ b/src/csvtable.cpp
@@ -694,8 +694,9 @@ int CsvTable::saveCsv(std::string path, void (*cb)(const char*, void *), void *w
 	char msg[MAX_MSG_LEN + 1];
 	std::string tempStr;
 	int retCode = 0;
-	std::ofstream output(path, std::ios::binary);
-	
+	std::ofstream output;
+	Helper::openOutputStream(output, path, std::ios::binary);
+
 	// rather stupid TODO fix when `headerRow` gets fixed
 	std::vector<std::string> headerRowCopy;
 	headerRowCopy.resize( headerRow->size() );
@@ -757,7 +758,8 @@ int CsvTable::saveCsv(std::string path, void (*cb)(const char*, void *), void *w
 int CsvTable::exportJSON(std::string path, void (*cb)(const char*, void *), void *win, bool convertNumbers) {
 	table_index_t rowCount, colCount;
 	int retCode = saveReturnCode::SAVE_OKAY;
-	std::ofstream output(path, std::ios::binary);
+	std::ofstream output;
+	Helper::openOutputStream(output, path, std::ios::binary);
 	const int MAX_MSG_LEN = 500;
 	char msg[MAX_MSG_LEN + 1];
 	std::map<std::string, std::string> item;
diff --git a/src/csvwindow.cpp b/src/csvwindow.cpp
index 9781abe..96904fa 100644
--- a/src/csvwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/csvwindow.cpp
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ bool CsvWindow::loadFile(std::string filename, bool askUser, bool reopen) {
 		return false;
 	}
 	
-	input.open(filename);
+	Helper::openInputStream(input, filename);
 	if( !input ) {
 		CsvApplication::myFlChoice("", "Could not open file!", {"Okay"});
 		return false;
diff --git a/src/helper.cpp b/src/helper.cpp
index dcb8cf6..16b1d21 100644
--- a/src/helper.cpp
+++ b/src/helper.cpp
@@ -495,9 +495,15 @@ std::string Helper::padInteger(int num, int length) {
 
 // https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5840148/how-can-i-get-a-files-size-in-c
 long Helper::getFileSize(std::string filename) {
+#ifdef _WIN64
+	struct _stat64 stat_buf;
+	int rc = _wstat64(utf8_to_ws(filename).c_str(), &stat_buf);
+	return rc == 0 ? (long)stat_buf.st_size : -1;
+#else
 	struct stat stat_buf;
 	int rc = stat(filename.c_str(), &stat_buf);
 	return rc == 0 ? stat_buf.st_size : -1;
+#endif
 }
 
 
@@ -792,6 +798,46 @@ unsigned int Helper::getFltkFontCode(std::string fontname) {
 }
 
 
+void Helper::openInputStream(std::ifstream& stream, const std::string& utf8Path, std::ios_base::openmode mode) {
+#ifdef _WIN64
+	stream.open(utf8_to_ws(utf8Path), mode);
+#else
+	stream.open(utf8Path, mode);
+#endif
+}
+
+
+void Helper::openOutputStream(std::ofstream& stream, const std::string& utf8Path, std::ios_base::openmode mode) {
+#ifdef _WIN64
+	stream.open(utf8_to_ws(utf8Path), mode);
+#else
+	stream.open(utf8Path, mode);
+#endif
+}
+
+
+#ifdef _WIN64
+std::string Helper::ws_to_utf8(std::wstring const& s) {
+	if( s.empty() ) return std::string();
+	int needed = WideCharToMultiByte(CP_UTF8, 0, s.data(), (int)s.size(), nullptr, 0, nullptr, nullptr);
+	if( needed <= 0 ) return std::string();
+	std::string out((size_t)needed, '\0');
+	WideCharToMultiByte(CP_UTF8, 0, s.data(), (int)s.size(), out.data(), needed, nullptr, nullptr);
+	return out;
+}
+
+
+std::wstring Helper::utf8_to_ws(std::string const& utf8) {
+	if( utf8.empty() ) return std::wstring();
+	int needed = MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, utf8.data(), (int)utf8.size(), nullptr, 0);
+	if( needed <= 0 ) return std::wstring();
+	std::wstring out((size_t)needed, L'\0');
+	MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, utf8.data(), (int)utf8.size(), out.data(), needed);
+	return out;
+}
+#endif
+
+
 
 
 
diff --git a/src/helper.hh b/src/helper.hh
index ba0f1fc..51a1341 100644
--- a/src/helper.hh
+++ b/src/helper.hh
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ public:
 	static unsigned int getFltkFontCode(std::string fontname);
 	static std::string ws_to_utf8(std::wstring const& s);
 	static std::wstring utf8_to_ws(std::string const& utf8);
+	static void openInputStream(std::ifstream& stream, const std::string& utf8Path, std::ios_base::openmode mode = std::ios_base::in);
+	static void openOutputStream(std::ofstream& stream, const std::string& utf8Path, std::ios_base::openmode mode = std::ios_base::out);
 	static void log(std::string msg);
 private:
 	static std::map<const unsigned int, const unsigned char> unicode2win1252;
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index c9ef7ec..1b05760 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@
 #include <FL/Fl_Double_Window.H>
 #include <FL/Fl_Box.H>
 
+#ifdef _WIN64
+#include <shellapi.h>
+#endif
+
 
 
 /** Global function to access the application's preferences as stored in the preferences file. */
@@ -116,7 +120,20 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 	app.setTheme(app.getTheme());
 	#endif
 
-	#ifndef _WIN64
+	#ifdef _WIN64
+	{
+		int wargc = 0;
+		LPWSTR* wargv = CommandLineToArgvW(GetCommandLineW(), &wargc);
+		if( wargv != nullptr ) {
+			for( int i = 1; i < wargc; ++i ) {
+				// open all files passed on the command line
+				std::string path = Helper::ws_to_utf8(std::wstring(wargv[i]));
+				CsvApplication::droppedFileCB(path.c_str());
+			}
+			LocalFree(wargv);
+		}
+	}
+	#else
 	for( int i = 1; i < argc; ++i ) {
 		// open all files passed on the command line
 		CsvApplication::droppedFileCB(argv[i]);