diff --git a/code/ryzom/tools/client/ryzom_installer/src/utils.cpp b/code/ryzom/tools/client/ryzom_installer/src/utils.cpp
index 28860ffab..fac7e7599 100644
--- a/code/ryzom/tools/client/ryzom_installer/src/utils.cpp
+++ b/code/ryzom/tools/client/ryzom_installer/src/utils.cpp
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ wchar_t* qToWide(const QString &str)
 
 bool createLink(const QString &link, const QString &name, const QString &executable, const QString &arguments, const QString &icon, const QString &workingDir)
 {
+	CCOMHelper comHelper;
+
 	IShellLinkW* psl;
 
 	// Get a pointer to the IShellLink interface. It is assumed that CoInitialize
@@ -135,6 +137,8 @@ bool createLink(const QString &link, const QString &name, const QString &executa
 
 bool resolveLink(const QWidget &window, const QString &linkFile, QString &path)
 {
+	CCOMHelper comHelper;
+
 	IShellLinkW* psl;
 	WIN32_FIND_DATAW wfd;
 
@@ -239,3 +243,21 @@ bool resolveLink(const QWidget &window, const QString &pathLink, QString &pathOb
 }
 
 #endif
+
+CCOMHelper::CCOMHelper()
+{
+#ifdef Q_OS_WIN
+	// to fix the bug with QFileDialog::getExistingDirectory hanging under Windows
+	m_mustUninit = SUCCEEDED(CoInitialize(NULL));
+#else
+	m_mustUninit = false;
+#endif
+}
+
+CCOMHelper::~CCOMHelper()
+{
+#ifdef Q_OS_WIN
+	// only call CoUninitialize if CoInitialize succeeded
+	if (m_mustUninit) CoUninitialize();
+#endif
+}
diff --git a/code/ryzom/tools/client/ryzom_installer/src/utils.h b/code/ryzom/tools/client/ryzom_installer/src/utils.h
index 6de89bcba..c016ed8ba 100644
--- a/code/ryzom/tools/client/ryzom_installer/src/utils.h
+++ b/code/ryzom/tools/client/ryzom_installer/src/utils.h
@@ -51,4 +51,13 @@ wchar_t* qToWide(const QString &str);
 bool createLink(const QString &link, const QString &name, const QString &executable, const QString &arguments, const QString &icon, const QString &workingDir);
 bool resolveLink(const QWidget &window, const QString &pathLink, QString &pathObj);
 
+class CCOMHelper
+{
+	bool m_mustUninit;
+
+public:
+	CCOMHelper();
+	~CCOMHelper();
+};
+
 #endif