diff --git a/include/loot/error.h b/include/loot/error.h
index ba840de0..5a67c476 100644
--- a/include/loot/error.h
+++ b/include/loot/error.h
@@ -66,8 +66,6 @@ public:
      * repository.
      */
     git_error = 12,
-    /** A miscellaneous error occurred when using an operating system API. */
-    windows_error = 13,
     /** An error occurred while trying to sort the load order. */
     sorting_error = 14,
   };
diff --git a/src/backend/app/loot_paths.cpp b/src/backend/app/loot_paths.cpp
index 8e69c26c..a64b1078 100644
--- a/src/backend/app/loot_paths.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/app/loot_paths.cpp
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ boost::filesystem::path LootPaths::getLocalAppDataPath() {
   PWSTR path;
 
   if (SHGetKnownFolderPath(FOLDERID_LocalAppData, 0, NULL, &path) != S_OK)
-    throw Error(Error::Code::windows_error, boost::locale::translate("Failed to get %LOCALAPPDATA% path."));
+    throw std::system_error(GetLastError(), std::system_category(), boost::locale::translate("Failed to get %LOCALAPPDATA% path."));
 
   boost::filesystem::path localAppDataPath(FromWinWide(path));
   CoTaskMemFree(path);
diff --git a/src/backend/helpers/helpers.cpp b/src/backend/helpers/helpers.cpp
index 83462e2a..bd458027 100644
--- a/src/backend/helpers/helpers.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/helpers/helpers.cpp
@@ -119,10 +119,10 @@ void OpenInDefaultApplication(const boost::filesystem::path& file) {
 #ifdef _WIN32
   HINSTANCE ret = ShellExecute(0, NULL, ToWinWide(file.string()).c_str(), NULL, NULL, SW_SHOWNORMAL);
   if ((int)ret <= 32)
-    throw Error(Error::Code::windows_error, translate("Failed to open file in its default application."));
+    throw std::system_error(GetLastError(), std::system_category(), translate("Failed to open file in its default application."));
 #else
   if (system(("/usr/bin/xdg-open" + file.string()).c_str()) != 0)
-    throw Error(Error::Code::windows_error, translate("Failed to open file in its default application."));
+    throw std::system_error(errno, std::system_category(), translate("Failed to open file in its default application."));
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/gui/query/clipboard_query.h b/src/gui/query/clipboard_query.h
index 6eb0e076..3650f87b 100644
--- a/src/gui/query/clipboard_query.h
+++ b/src/gui/query/clipboard_query.h
@@ -35,11 +35,11 @@ protected:
   void copyToClipboard(const std::string& text) {
 #ifdef _WIN32
     if (!OpenClipboard(NULL)) {
-      throw Error(Error::Code::windows_error, "Failed to open the Windows clipboard.");
+      throw std::system_error(GetLastError(), std::system_category(), "Failed to open the Windows clipboard.");
     }
 
     if (!EmptyClipboard()) {
-      throw Error(Error::Code::windows_error, "Failed to empty the Windows clipboard.");
+      throw std::system_error(GetLastError(), std::system_category(), "Failed to empty the Windows clipboard.");
     }
 
     // The clipboard takes a Unicode (ie. UTF-16) string that it then owns and must not
@@ -50,11 +50,11 @@ protected:
     wcscpy(wcstr, wtext.c_str());
 
     if (SetClipboardData(CF_UNICODETEXT, wcstr) == NULL) {
-      throw Error(Error::Code::windows_error, "Failed to copy metadata to the Windows clipboard.");
+      throw std::system_error(GetLastError(), std::system_category(), "Failed to copy metadata to the Windows clipboard.");
     }
 
     if (!CloseClipboard()) {
-      throw Error(Error::Code::windows_error, "Failed to close the Windows clipboard.");
+      throw std::system_error(GetLastError(), std::system_category(), "Failed to close the Windows clipboard.");
     }
 #endif
   }