diff --git a/matlab/CalcNF2FF.m b/matlab/CalcNF2FF.m
index 8e2df8d..4d9f2c1 100644
--- a/matlab/CalcNF2FF.m
+++ b/matlab/CalcNF2FF.m
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ try
         % remove LD_LIBRARY_PATH set by matlab
         system(['export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=; ' openEMS_Path 'nf2ff/nf2ff ' filename '.xml']);
     else
-        system([openEMS_Path 'nf2ff/nf2ff ' filename '.xml']);
+        system([openEMS_Path 'nf2ff.exe ' filename '.xml']);
     end
 
     nf2ff.hdf5;
diff --git a/matlab/h5readatt_octave.cc b/matlab/h5readatt_octave.cc
index cf11079..2d58316 100644
--- a/matlab/h5readatt_octave.cc
+++ b/matlab/h5readatt_octave.cc
@@ -27,14 +27,25 @@ DEFUN_DLD (h5readatt_octave, args, nargout, "h5readatt_octave(<File_Name>,<DataS
 	  return retval;
 	}
 
-	hid_t ds = H5Oopen(file, args(1).string_value().c_str(), H5P_DEFAULT);
-	if (ds==-1)
+#ifdef WIN32
+	// this special treatment is necessary because Win32-Octave ships with a very old hdf5 version (1.6.10)
+	hid_t obj = -1;
+	//try opening the group
+	obj = H5Gopen(file, args(1).string_value().c_str());
+	//try opening the dataset if group failed
+	if (obj==-1)
+		obj = H5Dopen(file, args(1).string_value().c_str());
+#else
+	hid_t obj = H5Oopen(file, args(1).string_value().c_str(), H5P_DEFAULT);
+#endif
+
+	if (obj==-1)
 	{
 	  error("h5readatt_octave: opening the given Object failed");
 	  return retval;
 	}
 
-	hid_t attr = H5Aopen_name(ds, args(2).string_value().c_str());
+	hid_t attr = H5Aopen_name(obj, args(2).string_value().c_str());
 	if (attr==-1)
 	{
 	  error("h5readatt_octave: opening the given Attribute failed");
@@ -63,7 +74,13 @@ DEFUN_DLD (h5readatt_octave, args, nargout, "h5readatt_octave(<File_Name>,<DataS
 	}
 
 	H5Aclose(attr);
-	H5Dclose(ds);
+#ifdef WIN32
+	// try group close, than Dataset close
+	if (H5Gclose(obj)<0)
+		H5Dclose(obj);
+#else
+	H5Oclose(obj);
+#endif
 	H5Fclose(file);
 	Matrix mat(numVal,1);
 	for (size_t n=0;n<numVal;++n)
diff --git a/nf2ff/nf2ff.pro b/nf2ff/nf2ff.pro
index f8b6dc7..7ede0ee 100644
--- a/nf2ff/nf2ff.pro
+++ b/nf2ff/nf2ff.pro
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ INCLUDEPATH += ../../tinyxml
 CONFIG += debug_and_release
 
 win32 {
+    QMAKE_CXXFLAGS += -DH5_USE_16_API
     INCLUDEPATH += ../../hdf5/include ../../hdf5/include/cpp ../../boost/include/boost-1_42
 	LIBS +=  ../../hdf5/lib/hdf5.lib
     LIBS += ../../boost/lib/libboost_thread-mgw44-mt.lib
diff --git a/openEMS.pro b/openEMS.pro
index 8924dfa..d2a8493 100644
--- a/openEMS.pro
+++ b/openEMS.pro
@@ -28,8 +28,9 @@ CONFIG += debug_and_release
 ###############################################################################
 
 win32 {
+    QMAKE_CXXFLAGS += -DH5_USE_16_API
     INCLUDEPATH += ../hdf5/include ../hdf5/include/cpp ../boost/include/boost-1_42
-    LIBS +=  ../hdf5/lib/hdf5_cpp.lib ../hdf5/lib/hdf5.lib
+    LIBS +=  ../hdf5/lib/hdf5.lib
     LIBS += ../boost/lib/libboost_thread-mgw44-mt.lib
     LIBS += -L../CSXCAD/release
     LIBS += ../fparser/release/libfparser4.a