diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index d018aa027..fff01f81d 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -6498,6 +6498,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "roxmltree 0.21.2",
  "rustix 1.1.6",
  "ruzstd",
+ "same-file",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "skrifa 0.47.0",
diff --git a/crates/engine/Cargo.toml b/crates/engine/Cargo.toml
index 836d4b744..0fccbcdec 100644
--- a/crates/engine/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/engine/Cargo.toml
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@ log = { workspace = true }
 [target.'cfg(unix)'.dependencies]
 rustix = { workspace = true, features = ["std", "process"] }
 
+# Whether a recovery area's lock file is still the one that was opened (`FolderStore::still_named`).
+# Already in Cargo.lock (walkdir), so this adds no new crate.
+[target.'cfg(windows)'.dependencies]
+same-file = "1.0.6"
+
 # The tiles of a HEIC photo decode in parallel on native; wasm stays single-threaded.
 [target.'cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))'.dependencies]
 heic-rs = { version = "=0.1.4", default-features = false, features = ["std", "parallel"], optional = true }
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/recovery.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/recovery.rs
index ffd3badf0..b75066ec6 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/recovery.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/recovery.rs
@@ -342,7 +342,8 @@ impl FolderStore {
     }
 
     /// Does `path` still name `file`? On Unix the two must be the same file (device and inode); on
-    /// Windows they must have the same creation time; elsewhere `path` must exist.
+    /// Windows they must be the same file (volume serial number and file index); elsewhere `path`
+    /// must exist. When either file can't be read, it does not.
     fn still_named(file: &std::fs::File, path: &std::path::Path) -> bool {
         #[cfg(unix)]
         {
@@ -354,9 +355,9 @@ impl FolderStore {
         }
         #[cfg(windows)]
         {
-            use std::os::windows::fs::MetadataExt as _;
-            match (file.metadata(), std::fs::symlink_metadata(path)) {
-                (Ok(a), Ok(b)) => a.creation_time() == b.creation_time(),
+            let opened = file.try_clone().and_then(same_file::Handle::from_file);
+            match (opened, same_file::Handle::from_path(path)) {
+                (Ok(a), Ok(b)) => a == b,
                 _ => false,
             }
         }
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/tests/recovery.rs b/crates/engine/src/tests/recovery.rs
index ce76b612c..4994a9072 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/tests/recovery.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/tests/recovery.rs
@@ -572,8 +572,9 @@ fn an_area_tidied_away_before_it_is_locked_is_busy() {
     // The folder went before it was checked or its lock file opened.
     std::fs::remove_dir(&area).unwrap();
     assert!(matches!(FolderStore::lock_area(&area), Ok(Lock::Busy)));
-    // A lock file made again under the same name is not the one opened.
-    #[cfg(unix)]
+    // A lock file made again under the same name is not the one opened, also where it keeps the
+    // removed one's creation time (NTFS does within 15 seconds).
+    #[cfg(any(unix, windows))]
     {
         std::fs::create_dir_all(&area).unwrap();
         let opened = open(true);