diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.cpp b/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.cpp
index 47154552b39b..4b86174d5773 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.cpp
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.cpp
@@ -1945,3 +1945,60 @@ DWORD getFileAttributesExWaitSec(const wchar_t* filePath, WIN32_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_D
 
 	return data._result;
 }
+
+
+//----------------------------------------------------
+
+struct CreateFileParamResult
+{
+	wstring _filePath;
+	HANDLE _hFile = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
+	DWORD _accessParam = GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE;
+	DWORD _shareParam = FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE;
+	DWORD _dispParam = CREATE_ALWAYS;
+	DWORD _attribParam = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL;
+	bool _isNetworkFailure = true;
+	CreateFileParamResult(wstring filePath, DWORD accessParam, DWORD shareParam, DWORD dispParam, DWORD attribParam) :
+		_filePath(filePath), _accessParam(accessParam), _shareParam(shareParam), _dispParam(dispParam), _attribParam(attribParam) {};
+};
+
+DWORD WINAPI createFileWorker(void* data)
+{
+	CreateFileParamResult* inAndOut = static_cast<CreateFileParamResult*>(data);
+	inAndOut->_hFile = ::CreateFileW(inAndOut->_filePath.c_str(), inAndOut->_accessParam, inAndOut->_shareParam, NULL, inAndOut->_dispParam, inAndOut->_attribParam, NULL);
+	inAndOut->_isNetworkFailure = false;
+	return ERROR_SUCCESS;
+};
+
+HANDLE createFileWaitSec(const wchar_t* filePath, DWORD accessParam, DWORD shareParam, DWORD dispParam, DWORD attribParam, DWORD milliSec2wait, bool* isNetWorkProblem)
+{
+	CreateFileParamResult data(filePath, accessParam, shareParam, dispParam, attribParam);
+
+	HANDLE hThread = ::CreateThread(NULL, 0, createFileWorker, &data, 0, NULL);
+	if (!hThread)
+	{
+		return INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
+	}
+
+	// wait for our worker thread to complete or terminate it when the required timeout has elapsed
+	DWORD dwWaitStatus = ::WaitForSingleObject(hThread, milliSec2wait == 0 ? DEFAULT_MILLISEC : milliSec2wait);
+	switch (dwWaitStatus)
+	{
+		case WAIT_OBJECT_0: // Ok, the state of our worker thread is signaled, so it finished itself in the timeout given		
+			// - nothing else to do here, except the thread handle closing later
+			break;
+
+		case WAIT_TIMEOUT: // the timeout interval elapsed, but the worker's state is still non-signaled
+		default: // Timeout reached, or WAIT_FAILED or WAIT_ABANDONED
+			// attempt to cancel the operation
+			::CancelIoEx(data._hFile, NULL);
+			::TerminateThread(hThread, dwWaitStatus);
+			break;
+	}
+	CloseHandle(hThread);
+
+	if (isNetWorkProblem != nullptr)
+		*isNetWorkProblem = data._isNetworkFailure;
+
+	return data._hFile;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.h b/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.h
index b4a8e0b62167..4639f9dd3e74 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.h
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.h
@@ -289,3 +289,4 @@ bool doesPathExist(const wchar_t* path, DWORD milliSec2wait = 0, bool* isNetWork
 
 DWORD getDiskFreeSpaceWaitSec(const wchar_t* dirPath, ULARGE_INTEGER* freeBytesForUser, DWORD milliSec2wait = 0, bool* isNetWorkProblem = nullptr);
 DWORD getFileAttributesExWaitSec(const wchar_t* filePath, WIN32_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DATA* fileAttr, DWORD milliSec2wait = 0, bool* isNetWorkProblem = nullptr);
+HANDLE createFileWaitSec(const wchar_t* filePath, DWORD accessParam, DWORD shareParam, DWORD dispParam, DWORD attribParam, DWORD milliSec2wait = 0, bool* isNetWorkProblem = nullptr);
diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/FileInterface.cpp b/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/FileInterface.cpp
index c2c884facb00..73930be72b43 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/FileInterface.cpp
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/FileInterface.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ Win32_IO_File::Win32_IO_File(const wchar_t *fname)
 		bool fileExists = false;
 
 		// Store the file creation date & attributes for a possible use later...
-		if (::GetFileAttributesEx(fname, GetFileExInfoStandard, &attributes_original)) // No thread (GetFileAttributesExWaitSec) to prevent eventual crash
+		if (getFileAttributesExWaitSec(fname, &attributes_original))
 		{
 			fileExists = (attributes_original.dwFileAttributes != INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES);
 		}
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ Win32_IO_File::Win32_IO_File(const wchar_t *fname)
 			}
 		}
 
-		_hFile = ::CreateFileW(fname, _accessParam, _shareParam, NULL, dispParam, _attribParam, NULL); // No thread (CreateFileWaitSec) due to the lock guard in the caller which leads crash
+		_hFile = ::createFileWaitSec(fname, _accessParam, _shareParam, dispParam, _attribParam);
 
 		// Race condition management:
 		//  If file didn't exist while calling PathFileExistsW, but before calling CreateFileW, file is created:  use CREATE_ALWAYS is OK
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ Win32_IO_File::Win32_IO_File(const wchar_t *fname)
 		if (dispParam == TRUNCATE_EXISTING && _hFile == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE && ::GetLastError() == ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND)
 		{
 			dispParam = CREATE_ALWAYS;
-			_hFile = ::CreateFileW(fname, _accessParam, _shareParam, NULL, dispParam, _attribParam, NULL);
+			_hFile = ::createFileWaitSec(fname, _accessParam, _shareParam, dispParam, _attribParam);
 		}
 
 		if (fileExists && (dispParam == CREATE_ALWAYS) && (_hFile != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE))