diff --git a/updater/Updater.cpp b/updater/Updater.cpp
index eaf9d88767..b9daaf228c 100644
--- a/updater/Updater.cpp
+++ b/updater/Updater.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
+#include "common/RedtapeWilCom.h"
+#include <Shobjidl.h>
 #include <shellapi.h>
 #endif
 
@@ -136,16 +138,42 @@ void Updater::CloseUpdateZip()
 bool Updater::RecursiveDeleteDirectory(const char* path)
 {
 #ifdef _WIN32
-	// making this safer on Win32...
-	std::wstring wpath = FileSystem::GetWin32Path(path);
-	wpath += L'\0';
+	wil::com_ptr_nothrow<IFileOperation> fo;
+	HRESULT hr = CoCreateInstance(CLSID_FileOperation, NULL, CLSCTX_ALL, IID_PPV_ARGS(fo.put()));
+	if (FAILED(hr))
+	{
+		m_progress->DisplayFormattedError("CoCreateInstance() for IFileOperation failed: %08X", hr);
+		return false;
+	}
 
-	SHFILEOPSTRUCTW op = {};
-	op.wFunc = FO_DELETE;
-	op.pFrom = wpath.c_str();
-	op.fFlags = FOF_NOCONFIRMATION;
+	wil::com_ptr_nothrow<IShellItem> item;
+	hr = SHCreateItemFromParsingName(StringUtil::UTF8StringToWideString(path).c_str(), NULL, IID_PPV_ARGS(item.put()));
+	if (FAILED(hr))
+	{
+		m_progress->DisplayFormattedError("SHCreateItemFromParsingName() for delete failed: %08X", hr);
+		return false;
+	}
 
-	return (SHFileOperationW(&op) == 0 && !op.fAnyOperationsAborted);
+	hr = fo->SetOperationFlags(FOF_NOCONFIRMATION | FOF_SILENT);
+	if (FAILED(hr))
+		m_progress->DisplayFormattedWarning("IFileOperation::SetOperationFlags() failed: %08X", hr);
+
+	hr = fo->DeleteItem(item.get(), nullptr);
+	if (FAILED(hr))
+	{
+		m_progress->DisplayFormattedError("IFileOperation::DeleteItem() failed: %08X", hr);
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	item.reset();
+	hr = fo->PerformOperations();
+	if (FAILED(hr))
+	{
+		m_progress->DisplayFormattedError("IFileOperation::PerformOperations() failed: %08X", hr);
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	return true;
 #else
 	return FileSystem::RecursiveDeleteDirectory(path);
 #endif
diff --git a/updater/Updater.h b/updater/Updater.h
index 9bd1d52e45..e985cc2ecc 100644
--- a/updater/Updater.h
+++ b/updater/Updater.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public:
 	std::string FindPCSX2Exe() const;
 
 private:
-	static bool RecursiveDeleteDirectory(const char* path);
+	bool RecursiveDeleteDirectory(const char* path);
 
 	void CloseUpdateZip();
 
diff --git a/updater/Windows/WindowsUpdater.cpp b/updater/Windows/WindowsUpdater.cpp
index af233e6aaa..ed694b6fb4 100644
--- a/updater/Windows/WindowsUpdater.cpp
+++ b/updater/Windows/WindowsUpdater.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 #include "common/FileSystem.h"
 #include "common/Console.h"
+#include "common/ScopedGuard.h"
 #include "common/StringUtil.h"
 #include "common/ProgressCallback.h"
 #include "common/RedtapeWindows.h"
@@ -420,6 +421,12 @@ int WINAPI wWinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPWSTR lpCmdLi
 {
 	Win32ProgressCallback progress;
 
+	const bool com_initialized = CoInitializeEx(nullptr, COINIT_MULTITHREADED);
+	const ScopedGuard com_guard = [com_initialized]() {
+		if (com_initialized)
+			CoUninitialize();
+	};
+
 	int argc = 0;
 	wil::unique_hlocal_ptr<LPWSTR[]> argv(CommandLineToArgvW(GetCommandLineW(), &argc));
 	if (!argv || argc <= 0)