diff --git a/misc/qet-mcp/qet_mcp.py b/misc/qet-mcp/qet_mcp.py
index fa3363d7e..62675672f 100755
--- a/misc/qet-mcp/qet_mcp.py
+++ b/misc/qet-mcp/qet_mcp.py
@@ -884,6 +884,44 @@ def tool_element_info(path: str) -> dict:
     }
 
 
+def _launch_executable(src: Path, sandbox: Path, windows: bool) -> Path:
+    """The executable _run_qet() starts: a private copy, except on Windows.
+
+    The copy gives each run its own SingleApplication key, which is derived
+    from the executable's path. On Windows a program loads its DLLs from its
+    own folder, so a copy on its own dies before main() (0xC0000135, DLL not
+    found) and nothing could ever be exported or edited there. Run the
+    original instead: every flag this server passes is a CLI export flag or
+    --run, and QElectroTech handles both and returns before it constructs
+    SingleApplication (main.cpp), so there is no instance to be handed to.
+    The copy stays elsewhere for builds from before that early return.
+    """
+    if windows:
+        return src
+    exe = sandbox / f"qet-mcp-{os.getpid()}"
+    shutil.copy2(src, exe)
+    return exe
+
+
+def _launch_env(env: dict, home: Path, windows: bool) -> dict:
+    """The environment _run_qet() starts QElectroTech in.
+
+    A private HOME and XDG directories, and, except on Windows, Qt's
+    offscreen platform so no display is needed. The Windows packages ship
+    only the qwindows platform plugin: asked for "offscreen", Qt finds no
+    plugin and stops at a message box nobody can close, so every call hung
+    until its timeout. The export flags and --run open no window there, so
+    the default platform is what they need.
+    """
+    env = dict(env,
+               HOME=str(home),
+               XDG_CONFIG_HOME=str(home / ".config"),
+               XDG_DATA_HOME=str(home / ".local" / "share"))
+    if not windows:
+        env["QT_QPA_PLATFORM"] = "offscreen"
+    return env
+
+
 def _run_qet(binary: str, args: list[str], timeout: int = 180,
              elements_dir: str | None = None,
              script: str | None = None, tail: int = 4000) -> dict:
@@ -925,8 +963,7 @@ def _run_qet(binary: str, args: list[str], timeout: int = 180,
         raise ValueError(f"not an executable: {src}")
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix="qet-mcp-") as tmp:
         sandbox = Path(tmp)
-        exe = sandbox / f"qet-mcp-{os.getpid()}"
-        shutil.copy2(src, exe)
+        exe = _launch_executable(src, sandbox, os.name == "nt")
         home = sandbox / "home"
         (home / ".config").mkdir(parents=True)
         (home / ".local" / "share").mkdir(parents=True)
@@ -943,11 +980,7 @@ def _run_qet(binary: str, args: list[str], timeout: int = 180,
             script_path = sandbox / "qet-mcp-edit.js"
             script_path.write_text(script, encoding="utf-8")
             args = ["--run", str(script_path), *args]
-        env = dict(os.environ,
-                   HOME=str(home),
-                   XDG_CONFIG_HOME=str(home / ".config"),
-                   XDG_DATA_HOME=str(home / ".local" / "share"),
-                   QT_QPA_PLATFORM="offscreen")
+        env = _launch_env(dict(os.environ), home, os.name == "nt")
         try:
             p = subprocess.run([str(exe), *args], env=env, timeout=timeout,
                                capture_output=True, text=True)
diff --git a/misc/qet-mcp/test_qet_mcp.py b/misc/qet-mcp/test_qet_mcp.py
index 24c1e2718..3c1815ac0 100644
--- a/misc/qet-mcp/test_qet_mcp.py
+++ b/misc/qet-mcp/test_qet_mcp.py
@@ -1902,6 +1902,45 @@ class PathPolicy(unittest.TestCase):
                                   f"{name} has no {arg!r} argument to guard")
 
 
+class LaunchExecutable(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Windows cannot run a lone copy of QElectroTech (F065): its DLLs sit
+    beside the original. Everywhere else the private copy stays."""
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.tmp = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()
+        base = Path(self.tmp.name)
+        self.src = base / "bin" / "qelectrotech"
+        self.src.parent.mkdir()
+        self.src.write_text("#!/bin/sh\nexit 0\n")
+        self.sandbox = base / "sandbox"
+        self.sandbox.mkdir()
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        self.tmp.cleanup()
+
+    def test_windows_runs_the_original(self):
+        self.assertEqual(m._launch_executable(self.src, self.sandbox, True), self.src)
+        self.assertEqual(list(self.sandbox.iterdir()), [], "nothing is copied on Windows")
+
+    def test_windows_keeps_its_own_qt_platform(self):
+        """The Windows packages have no offscreen plugin; asking for it
+        leaves QElectroTech stuck at a message box."""
+        env = m._launch_env({"PATH": "x"}, self.sandbox, True)
+        self.assertNotIn("QT_QPA_PLATFORM", env)
+        self.assertEqual(env["PATH"], "x")
+
+    def test_elsewhere_runs_offscreen(self):
+        env = m._launch_env({}, self.sandbox, False)
+        self.assertEqual(env["QT_QPA_PLATFORM"], "offscreen")
+        self.assertEqual(env["HOME"], str(self.sandbox))
+
+    def test_elsewhere_runs_a_private_copy(self):
+        exe = m._launch_executable(self.src, self.sandbox, False)
+        self.assertEqual(exe.parent, self.sandbox)
+        self.assertNotEqual(exe, self.src)
+        self.assertEqual(exe.read_text(), self.src.read_text())
+
+
 class ScriptingDisabledHint(unittest.TestCase):
     """QElectroTech may refuse to run scripts at all, and says so in French.