diff --git a/contrib/packaging/hgpackaging/py2exe.py b/contrib/packaging/hgpackaging/py2exe.py
--- a/contrib/packaging/hgpackaging/py2exe.py
+++ b/contrib/packaging/hgpackaging/py2exe.py
@@ -217,6 +217,13 @@
     """
     process_install_rules(STAGING_RULES, source_dir, staging_dir)
 
+    # Write out a default editor.rc file to configure notepad as the
+    # default editor.
+    with (staging_dir / 'hgrc.d' / 'editor.rc').open(
+        'w', encoding='utf-8'
+    ) as fh:
+        fh.write('[ui]\neditor = notepad\n')
+
     # Purge any files we don't want to be there.
     for f in STAGING_EXCLUDES:
         p = staging_dir / f
diff --git a/contrib/packaging/inno/mercurial.iss b/contrib/packaging/inno/mercurial.iss
--- a/contrib/packaging/inno/mercurial.iss
+++ b/contrib/packaging/inno/mercurial.iss
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@
 
 [INI]
 Filename: {app}\Mercurial.url; Section: InternetShortcut; Key: URL; String: https://mercurial-scm.org/
-Filename: {app}\hgrc.d\editor.rc; Section: ui; Key: editor; String: notepad
 
 [UninstallDelete]
 Type: files; Name: {app}\Mercurial.url