diff --git a/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp b/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
index a6b84063..5d605292 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
@@ -72,6 +72,19 @@ static bool havereadsettings;
 
 void rwSettings(bool writing)
 {
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    {
+        static int once = 1;
+        // Once conversion registry -> file. Only happens once ever, and
+        // also we only call the function at program startup (the once
+        // above).
+        maybeCopyFromRegistry();
+        once = 0;
+    }
+#endif _WIN32
+    // Keep this AFTER maybecopy...()
+    QSettings::setDefaultFormat(QSettings::IniFormat);
+
     LOGDEB1("rwSettings: write " << writing << "\n");
     if (writing && !havereadsettings)
         return;
@@ -434,6 +447,38 @@ string PrefsPack::stemlang()
     return stemLang;
 }
 
+#ifdef _WIN32
+// Once conversion of registry storage to file. If the file-specific
+// key does not exist, copy from registry to file and create the
+// file-specific key.
+void maybeCopyFromRegistry()
+{
+    const char* markerkey = "registryToFileDone";
+    std::map<QString, QVariant> settingsmap;
+    {
+        QSettings settings;
+        QStringList keys = settings.allKeys();
+        for (int ki = 0; ki < keys.count(); ki++) {
+            QString key = keys[ki];
+            settingsmap[keys[ki]] = settings.value(keys[ki]);
+        }
+    }
+    QSettings::setDefaultFormat(QSettings::IniFormat);
+    QSettings settings;
+    if (settings.value(markerkey) != QVariant()) {
+        // Already done;
+        return;
+    }
+    for (const auto& entry : settingsmap) {
+        LOGDEB("maybeCopyFromRegistry: KEY [" <<
+               qs2utf8s(entry.first) << "] VALUE [" <<
+               qs2utf8s(entry.second.toString()) << "]\n");
+        settings.setValue(entry.first, entry.second);
+    }
+    settings.setValue(markerkey, 1);
+}
+#endif
+
 #ifdef SHOWEVENTS
 const char *eventTypeToStr(int tp)
 {
diff --git a/src/qtgui/main.cpp b/src/qtgui/main.cpp
index 3c7de1db..f1eaa408 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/main.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/main.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <list>
+#include <iostream>
 
 #include <qapplication.h>
 #include <qtranslator.h>
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@
 #include <QLibraryInfo>
 #include <QFileDialog>
 #include <QUrl>
+#include <QSettings>
 
 #include "rcldb.h"
 #include "rclconfig.h"
diff --git a/src/qtgui/preview_plaintorich.cpp b/src/qtgui/preview_plaintorich.cpp
index 60d17a60..cbfce4f5 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/preview_plaintorich.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/preview_plaintorich.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ void PlainToRichQtPreview::clear()
     m_lastanchor = 0;
     m_groupanchors.clear();
     m_groupcuranchors.clear();
-    QSettings settings("Recoll.org", "recoll");
+    QSettings settings;
     m_spacehack = settings.value("anchorSpcHack", 0).toBool();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/qtgui/rclm_view.cpp b/src/qtgui/rclm_view.cpp
index 393c1b69..54986e10 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/rclm_view.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/rclm_view.cpp
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ void RclMain::startNativeViewer(Rcl::Doc doc, int pagenum, QString term)
         confirm.exec();
         // Pita: need to keep the prefs struct in sync, else the value
         // will be clobbered on program exit.
-        QSettings settings("Recoll.org", "recoll");
+        QSettings settings;
         prefs.showTempFileWarning =
             settings.value("Recoll/prefs/showTempFileWarning").toInt();
     }
diff --git a/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp b/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp
index 3d5bcefa..1b1fe0d2 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ void UIPrefsDialog::setFromPrefs()
 {
     // Most values are stored in the prefs struct. Some rarely used
     // ones go directly through the settings
-    QSettings settings("Recoll.org", "recoll");
+    QSettings settings;
 
     // Entries per result page spinbox
     pageLenSB->setValue(prefs.respagesize);
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ void UIPrefsDialog::accept()
 {
     // Most values are stored in the prefs struct. Some rarely used
     // ones go directly through the settings
-    QSettings settings("Recoll.org", "recoll");
+    QSettings settings;
     prefs.noBeeps = noBeepsCB->isChecked();
     prefs.ssearchNoComplete = ssNoCompleteCB->isChecked();
     prefs.ssearchStartOnComplete = ssSearchOnCompleteCB->isChecked();