diff --git a/app/config.js b/app/config.js
index 1f8ed28d..b2da8b79 100644
--- a/app/config.js
+++ b/app/config.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const gaze = require('gaze');
 const Config = require('electron-config');
 const notify = require('./notify');
 const _paths = require('./config/paths');
+const _openConfig = require('./config/open');
 
 // local storage
 const winCfg = new Config({
@@ -123,6 +124,10 @@ exports.getConfig = function () {
   return cfg.config;
 };
 
+exports.openConfig = function () {
+  return _openConfig();
+};
+
 exports.getPlugins = function () {
   return {
     plugins: cfg.plugins,
diff --git a/app/config/open.js b/app/config/open.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ed8e457a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/config/open.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+const {shell} = require('electron');
+const {confPath} = require('./paths');
+
+module.exports = () => Promise.resolve(shell.openItem(confPath));
+
+if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+  const exec = require('child_process').exec;
+
+  // This mimics shell.openItem, true if it worked, false if not.
+  const openNotepad = file => new Promise(resolve => {
+    exec(`start notepad.exe ${file}`, error => {
+      resolve(!error);
+    });
+  });
+
+  // Windows opens .js files with  WScript.exe by default
+  // If the user hasn't set up an editor for .js files, we fallback to notepad.
+  const canOpenNative = () => new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    exec('ftype JSFile', (error, stdout) => {
+      if (error) {
+        reject(error);
+      } else if (stdout && stdout.includes('WScript.exe')) {
+        reject(new Error('WScript is the default editor for .js files'));
+      } else {
+        resolve(true);
+      }
+    });
+  });
+
+  module.exports = () => canOpenNative()
+    .then(() => shell.openItem(confPath))
+    .catch(() => openNotepad(confPath));
+}
diff --git a/app/menus/menus/darwin.js b/app/menus/menus/darwin.js
index cd28ba68..4a5a2fd0 100644
--- a/app/menus/menus/darwin.js
+++ b/app/menus/menus/darwin.js
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 // This menu label is overrided by OSX to be the appName
 // The label is set to appName here so it matches actual behavior
-const {app, shell} = require('electron');
+const {app} = require('electron');
 const {accelerators} = require('../../accelerators');
-const {confPath} = require('../../config/paths');
+const {openConfig} = require('../../config');
 
 module.exports = function () {
   return {
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ module.exports = function () {
         label: 'Preferences...',
         accelerator: accelerators.preferences,
         click() {
-          shell.openItem(confPath);
+          openConfig();
         }
       },
       {
diff --git a/app/menus/menus/edit.js b/app/menus/menus/edit.js
index bb6c0a10..a0596e36 100644
--- a/app/menus/menus/edit.js
+++ b/app/menus/menus/edit.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-const {shell} = require('electron');
 const {accelerators} = require('../../accelerators');
-const {confPath} = require('../../config/paths');
+const {openConfig} = require('../../config');
 
 module.exports = function () {
   const submenu = [
@@ -52,7 +51,7 @@ module.exports = function () {
         label: 'Preferences...',
         accelerator: accelerators.preferences,
         click() {
-          shell.openItem(confPath);
+          openConfig();
         }
       }
     );