diff --git a/src/datasets/utils/filelock.py b/src/datasets/utils/filelock.py
index 4e7a130484b..fe4452dcb78 100644
--- a/src/datasets/utils/filelock.py
+++ b/src/datasets/utils/filelock.py
@@ -352,13 +352,15 @@ class WindowsFileLock(BaseFileLock):
     windows systems.
     """
 
+    def __init__(self, lock_file, timeout=-1, max_filename_length=255):
+        super().__init__(lock_file, timeout=timeout, max_filename_length=max_filename_length)
+        self._lock_file = "\\\\?\\" + os.path.abspath(os.path.expanduser(os.path.expandvars(self._lock_file)))
+
     def _acquire(self):
         open_mode = os.O_RDWR | os.O_CREAT | os.O_TRUNC
 
         try:
             fd = os.open(self._lock_file, open_mode)
-        except FileNotFoundError:
-            raise
         except OSError:
             pass
         else:
diff --git a/tests/test_filelock.py b/tests/test_filelock.py
index 31d4c9dc0e7..86d4ae8d215 100644
--- a/tests/test_filelock.py
+++ b/tests/test_filelock.py
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
 
 
 def test_filelock(tmpdir):
-    lock1 = FileLock(tmpdir / "foo.lock")
-    lock2 = FileLock(tmpdir / "foo.lock")
+    lock1 = FileLock(str(tmpdir / "foo.lock"))
+    lock2 = FileLock(str(tmpdir / "foo.lock"))
     timeout = 0.01
     with lock1.acquire():
         with pytest.raises(Timeout):
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def test_filelock(tmpdir):
 
 def test_long_filename(tmpdir):
     filename = "a" * 1000 + ".lock"
-    lock1 = FileLock(tmpdir / filename)
+    lock1 = FileLock(str(tmpdir / filename))
     assert lock1._lock_file.endswith(".lock")
     assert not lock1._lock_file.endswith(filename)
     assert len(os.path.basename(lock1._lock_file)) <= 255