diff --git a/cmd/crc-embedder/cmd/embed.go b/cmd/crc-embedder/cmd/embed.go
index fcd4667a97..7cb24a3e86 100644
--- a/cmd/crc-embedder/cmd/embed.go
+++ b/cmd/crc-embedder/cmd/embed.go
@@ -27,10 +27,11 @@ var (
 )
 
 const (
-	vfkitDriver      = "vfkit-driver"
-	vfkitEntitlement = "vfkit-entitlement"
-	libvirtDriver    = "libvirt-driver"
-	adminHelper      = "admin-helper"
+	vfkitDriver        = "vfkit-driver"
+	vfkitEntitlement   = "vfkit-entitlement"
+	libvirtDriver      = "libvirt-driver"
+	adminHelper        = "admin-helper"
+	backgroundLauncher = "background-launcher"
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -116,7 +117,8 @@ var (
 			adminHelper:   {constants.GetAdminHelperURLForOs("linux"), 0755},
 		},
 		"windows": {
-			adminHelper: {constants.GetAdminHelperURLForOs("windows"), 0755},
+			adminHelper:        {constants.GetAdminHelperURLForOs("windows"), 0755},
+			backgroundLauncher: {constants.GetCRCWindowsBackgroundLauncherDownloadURL(), 0755},
 		},
 	}
 )
diff --git a/packaging/windows/product.wxs.template b/packaging/windows/product.wxs.template
index 721ae8aa45..66d28a7a65 100755
--- a/packaging/windows/product.wxs.template
+++ b/packaging/windows/product.wxs.template
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@
                         <ServiceInstall Name="crcAdminHelper" Description="Perform administrative tasks for the user" Arguments="daemon" DisplayName="Red Hat OpenShift Local Admin Helper" ErrorControl="normal" Start="auto" Type="ownProcess" />
                         <ServiceControl Id="StartAdminHelperService" Name="crcAdminHelper" Start='install' Stop='both' Remove='uninstall' />
                     </Component>
+                    <Component Id="BackgroundLauncher" Guid="*">
+                        <File Id="BackgroundLauncher" Source="SourceDir\win32-background-launcher.exe" KeyPath="yes" DiskId="1" />
+                    </Component>
                     <Component Id="AddUserToCrcUsers" Guid="0C793EE7-109A-474B-9651-77E0A83BAF2D" KeyPath="yes">
                         <Condition>NOT UPGRADINGPRODUCTCODE AND NOT WIX_UPGRADE_DETECTED</Condition>
                         <util:User Id="LogonUser1" Domain="[%USERDOMAIN]" Name="[LogonUser]" CreateUser="no" RemoveOnUninstall="no">
@@ -123,6 +126,7 @@
         <Feature Id="DefaultFeature" Title="Install core features" Absent="disallow" Level="1">
             <ComponentRef Id="CrcExe" />
             <ComponentRef Id="AdminHelper" />
+            <ComponentRef Id="BackgroundLauncher" />
             <ComponentRef Id="AddToPath"/>
             <ComponentRef Id="AddUserToCrcUsers" />
             <ComponentRef Id="VsockRegistryEntry" />
diff --git a/pkg/crc/constants/constants.go b/pkg/crc/constants/constants.go
index 76392f1b91..a7bc4d6c8c 100644
--- a/pkg/crc/constants/constants.go
+++ b/pkg/crc/constants/constants.go
@@ -22,18 +22,19 @@ const (
 
 	CrcEnvPrefix = "CRC"
 
-	ConfigFile                = "crc.json"
-	LogFile                   = "crc.log"
-	DaemonLogFile             = "crcd.log"
-	CrcLandingPageURL         = "https://console.redhat.com/openshift/create/local" // #nosec G101
-	DefaultAdminHelperURLBase = "https://github.com/crc-org/admin-helper/releases/download/v%s/%s"
-	DefaultBundleURLBase      = "https://mirror.openshift.com/pub/openshift-v4/clients/crc/bundles/%s/%s/%s"
-	DefaultContext            = "admin"
-	DaemonHTTPEndpoint        = "http://unix/api"
-	DaemonVsockPort           = 1024
-	DefaultPodmanNamedPipe    = `\\.\pipe\crc-podman`
-	RootlessPodmanSocket      = "/run/user/1000/podman/podman.sock"
-	RootfulPodmanSocket       = "/run/podman/podman.sock"
+	ConfigFile                    = "crc.json"
+	LogFile                       = "crc.log"
+	DaemonLogFile                 = "crcd.log"
+	CrcLandingPageURL             = "https://console.redhat.com/openshift/create/local" // #nosec G101
+	DefaultAdminHelperURLBase     = "https://github.com/crc-org/admin-helper/releases/download/v%s/%s"
+	CRCWin32BackgroundLauncherURL = "https://github.com/crc-org/win32-background-launcher/releases/download/v%s/%s"
+	DefaultBundleURLBase          = "https://mirror.openshift.com/pub/openshift-v4/clients/crc/bundles/%s/%s/%s"
+	DefaultContext                = "admin"
+	DaemonHTTPEndpoint            = "http://unix/api"
+	DaemonVsockPort               = 1024
+	DefaultPodmanNamedPipe        = `\\.\pipe\crc-podman`
+	RootlessPodmanSocket          = "/run/user/1000/podman/podman.sock"
+	RootfulPodmanSocket           = "/run/podman/podman.sock"
 
 	VSockGateway = "192.168.127.1"
 	VsockSSHPort = 2222
@@ -47,6 +48,8 @@ const (
 
 	OpenShiftIngressHTTPPort  = 80
 	OpenShiftIngressHTTPSPort = 443
+
+	Win32BackgroundLauncherExeName = "win32-background-launcher.exe"
 )
 
 var adminHelperExecutableForOs = map[string]string{
@@ -145,6 +148,10 @@ func AdminHelperPath() string {
 	return ResolveHelperPath(GetAdminHelperExecutableForOs(runtime.GOOS))
 }
 
+func Win32BackgroundLauncherPath() string {
+	return ResolveHelperPath(Win32BackgroundLauncherExeName)
+}
+
 // GetHomeDir returns the home directory for the current user
 func GetHomeDir() string {
 	homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
@@ -187,6 +194,11 @@ func GetKubeAdminPasswordPath() string {
 	return filepath.Join(MachineInstanceDir, DefaultName, "kubeadmin-password")
 }
 
+func GetCRCWindowsBackgroundLauncherDownloadURL() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(CRCWin32BackgroundLauncherURL,
+		version.GetWin32BackgroundLauncherVersion(), Win32BackgroundLauncherExeName)
+}
+
 func GetDefaultCPUs(preset crcpreset.Preset) int {
 	switch preset {
 	case crcpreset.OpenShift, crcpreset.OKD:
diff --git a/pkg/crc/version/version.go b/pkg/crc/version/version.go
index 88fc8e24bb..31d3393c18 100644
--- a/pkg/crc/version/version.go
+++ b/pkg/crc/version/version.go
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ var (
 )
 
 const (
-	crcAdminHelperVersion = "0.0.12"
+	crcAdminHelperVersion          = "0.0.12"
+	win32BackgroundLauncherVersion = "0.0.0.1"
 )
 
 func GetCRCVersion() string {
@@ -63,6 +64,10 @@ func GetAdminHelperVersion() string {
 	return crcAdminHelperVersion
 }
 
+func GetWin32BackgroundLauncherVersion() string {
+	return win32BackgroundLauncherVersion
+}
+
 func IsInstaller() bool {
 	return installerBuild != "false"
 }