diff --git a/docs/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
index 6e3601a5c..0e5125cc8 100644
--- a/docs/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ The following tip changes can be tested by building VictoriaMetrics components f
 
 * BUGFIX: reduce the probability of sudden increase in the number of small parts on systems with small number of CPU cores.
 * BUGFIX: [vmctl](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmctl.html): fix performance issue when migrating data from VictoriaMetrics according to [these docs](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmctl.html#migrating-data-from-victoriametrics). Add the ability to speed up the data migration via `--vm-native-disable-retries` command-line flag. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/4092).
+* BUGFIX: do not panic at windows during snapshot deletion. Note, at windows process restart required for complete snapshot delete. See [this comment](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/70#issuecomment-1491529183) for details.
 * BUGFIX: [MetricsQL](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/MetricsQL.html): fix a panic when the duration in the query contains uppercase `M` suffix. Such a suffix isn't allowed to use in durations, since it clashes with `a million` suffix, e.g. it isn't clear whether `rate(metric[5M])` means rate over 5 minutes, 5 months or 5 million seconds. See [this](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/3589) and [this](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/4120) issues.
 * BUGFIX: [vmalert](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmalert.html): retry failed read request on the closed connection one more time. This improves rules execution reliability when connection between vmalert and datasource closes unexpectedly.
 * BUGFIX: [vmui](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/#vmui): fix the display of the tenant selector. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/4160).
diff --git a/lib/fs/fs.go b/lib/fs/fs.go
index 81dbf920f..2392b6178 100644
--- a/lib/fs/fs.go
+++ b/lib/fs/fs.go
@@ -219,17 +219,7 @@ func IsEmptyDir(path string) bool {
 // If the process crashes after the step 1, then the directory must be removed
 // on the next process start by calling MustRemoveTemporaryDirs on the parent directory.
 func MustRemoveDirAtomic(dir string) {
-	if !IsPathExist(dir) {
-		return
-	}
-	n := atomic.AddUint64(&atomicDirRemoveCounter, 1)
-	tmpDir := fmt.Sprintf("%s.must-remove.%d", dir, n)
-	if err := os.Rename(dir, tmpDir); err != nil {
-		logger.Panicf("FATAL: cannot move %s to %s: %s", dir, tmpDir, err)
-	}
-	MustRemoveAll(tmpDir)
-	parentDir := filepath.Dir(dir)
-	MustSyncPath(parentDir)
+	mustRemoveDirAtomic(dir)
 }
 
 var atomicDirRemoveCounter = uint64(time.Now().UnixNano())
diff --git a/lib/fs/fs_nix.go b/lib/fs/fs_nix.go
index 96d37d77f..54dc570c4 100644
--- a/lib/fs/fs_nix.go
+++ b/lib/fs/fs_nix.go
@@ -4,9 +4,29 @@
 package fs
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"sync/atomic"
+
+	"github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/lib/logger"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 )
 
 func freeSpace(stat unix.Statfs_t) uint64 {
 	return uint64(stat.Bavail) * uint64(stat.Bsize)
 }
+
+func mustRemoveDirAtomic(dir string) {
+	if !IsPathExist(dir) {
+		return
+	}
+	n := atomic.AddUint64(&atomicDirRemoveCounter, 1)
+	tmpDir := fmt.Sprintf("%s.must-remove.%d", dir, n)
+	if err := os.Rename(dir, tmpDir); err != nil {
+		logger.Panicf("FATAL: cannot move %s to %s: %s", dir, tmpDir, err)
+	}
+	MustRemoveAll(tmpDir)
+	parentDir := filepath.Dir(dir)
+	MustSyncPath(parentDir)
+}
diff --git a/lib/fs/fs_openbsd.go b/lib/fs/fs_openbsd.go
index 1ab4b9358..27e3f9dac 100644
--- a/lib/fs/fs_openbsd.go
+++ b/lib/fs/fs_openbsd.go
@@ -1,9 +1,29 @@
 package fs
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"sync/atomic"
+
+	"github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/lib/logger"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 )
 
 func freeSpace(stat unix.Statfs_t) uint64 {
 	return uint64(stat.F_bavail) * uint64(stat.F_bsize)
 }
+
+func mustRemoveDirAtomic(dir string) {
+	if !IsPathExist(dir) {
+		return
+	}
+	n := atomic.AddUint64(&atomicDirRemoveCounter, 1)
+	tmpDir := fmt.Sprintf("%s.must-remove.%d", dir, n)
+	if err := os.Rename(dir, tmpDir); err != nil {
+		logger.Panicf("FATAL: cannot move %s to %s: %s", dir, tmpDir, err)
+	}
+	MustRemoveAll(tmpDir)
+	parentDir := filepath.Dir(dir)
+	MustSyncPath(parentDir)
+}
diff --git a/lib/fs/fs_solaris.go b/lib/fs/fs_solaris.go
index 385903896..c5cb04ec1 100644
--- a/lib/fs/fs_solaris.go
+++ b/lib/fs/fs_solaris.go
@@ -3,11 +3,27 @@ package fs
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"sync/atomic"
 
 	"github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/lib/logger"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 )
 
+func mustRemoveDirAtomic(dir string) {
+	if !IsPathExist(dir) {
+		return
+	}
+	n := atomic.AddUint64(&atomicDirRemoveCounter, 1)
+	tmpDir := fmt.Sprintf("%s.must-remove.%d", dir, n)
+	if err := os.Rename(dir, tmpDir); err != nil {
+		logger.Panicf("FATAL: cannot move %s to %s: %s", dir, tmpDir, err)
+	}
+	MustRemoveAll(tmpDir)
+	parentDir := filepath.Dir(dir)
+	MustSyncPath(parentDir)
+}
+
 func mmap(fd int, length int) (data []byte, err error) {
 	return unix.Mmap(fd, 0, length, unix.PROT_READ, unix.MAP_SHARED)
 
diff --git a/lib/fs/fs_windows.go b/lib/fs/fs_windows.go
index fff0783c7..949829e9b 100644
--- a/lib/fs/fs_windows.go
+++ b/lib/fs/fs_windows.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"unsafe"
 
 	"github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/lib/logger"
@@ -23,6 +24,21 @@ var (
 func mustSyncPath(path string) {
 }
 
+func mustRemoveDirAtomic(dir string) {
+	if !IsPathExist(dir) {
+		return
+	}
+	n := atomic.AddUint64(&atomicDirRemoveCounter, 1)
+	tmpDir := fmt.Sprintf("%s.must-remove.%d", dir, n)
+	if err := os.Rename(dir, tmpDir); err != nil {
+		logger.Panicf("FATAL: cannot move %s to %s: %s", dir, tmpDir, err)
+	}
+	err := os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Warnf("cannot remove dir: %q: %s, restart VictoriaMetrics process to complete file deletion", tmpDir, err)
+	}
+}
+
 const (
 	lockfileExclusiveLock = 2
 	fileFlagNormal        = 0x00000080