diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6f97f1d8d4..d070d94681 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -60,3 +60,4 @@ eden-windows-msvc
 artifacts
 *.AppImage*
 /install*
+vulkansdk*.exe
diff --git a/docs/Deps.md b/docs/Deps.md
index 8ab6a68ebe..cfea5d481d 100644
--- a/docs/Deps.md
+++ b/docs/Deps.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ To build Eden, you MUST have a C++ compiler.
   - GCC 12 also requires Clang 14+
 * On Windows, we support:
   - **[MSVC](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/)** (default)
-    - It's STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to use the *Community* option
+    - It's STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to use the **Community** option and **Visual Studio 2022**
     - You need to install: **[Desktop development with C++](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/build/vscpp-step-0-installation?view=msvc-170)**
   - **[clang-cl](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/build/clang-support-msbuild?view=msvc-180)**
     - You need to install: **C++ Clang tools for Windows**
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ The following additional tools are also required:
 * **[CMake](https://www.cmake.org/)** 3.22+ - already included with the Android SDK
 * **[Git](https://git-scm.com/)** for version control
   - **[Windows installer](https://gitforwindows.org)**
+* **[Python3](https://www.python.org/downloads/)** 3.10+ - necessary to download external repositories
 * On Windows, you must install the **[Vulkan SDK](https://vulkan.lunarg.com/sdk/home#windows)** as well
   - *A convenience script to install the latest SDK is provided in `tools/windows/install-vulkan-sdk.ps1`*
 
diff --git a/tools/windows/install-vulkan-sdk.ps1 b/tools/windows/install-vulkan-sdk.ps1
index 7ac4e6c809..072b531201 100755
--- a/tools/windows/install-vulkan-sdk.ps1
+++ b/tools/windows/install-vulkan-sdk.ps1
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
 $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
 
 # Check if running as administrator
-if (-not ([bool](net session 2>$null))) {
+try {
+    net session 1>$null 2>$null
+} catch {
     Write-Host "This script must be run with administrator privileges!"
     Exit 1
 }
diff --git a/tools/windows/install-vulkan-sdk.sh b/tools/windows/install-vulkan-sdk.sh
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index ad97fb3d06..933d4ec708
--- a/tools/windows/install-vulkan-sdk.sh
+++ b/tools/windows/install-vulkan-sdk.sh
@@ -3,16 +3,10 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
 : "${VULKAN_SDK_VER:=1.4.328.1}"
-: "${VULKAN_SDK:=C:/VulkanSDK/$VULKAN_SDK_VER}"
+: "${VULKAN_ROOT:=C:/VulkanSDK/$VULKAN_SDK_VER}"
 EXE_FILE="vulkansdk-windows-X64-$VULKAN_SDK_VER.exe"
 URI="https://sdk.lunarg.com/sdk/download/$VULKAN_SDK_VER/windows/$EXE_FILE"
-DESTINATION="./$EXE_FILE"
-
-if command -v cygpath >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    VULKAN_ROOT_UNIX=$(cygpath -u "$VULKAN_SDK")
-else
-    VULKAN_ROOT_UNIX="$VULKAN_SDK"
-fi
+VULKAN_ROOT_UNIX=$(cygpath -u "$VULKAN_ROOT")
 
 # Check if Vulkan SDK is already installed
 if [ -d "$VULKAN_ROOT_UNIX" ]; then
@@ -21,18 +15,29 @@ if [ -d "$VULKAN_ROOT_UNIX" ]; then
 fi
 
 echo "Downloading Vulkan SDK $VULKAN_SDK_VER from $URI"
-curl -L -o "$DESTINATION" "$URI"
-chmod +x "$DESTINATION"
+[ ! -f "./$EXE_FILE" ] && curl -L -o "./$EXE_FILE" "$URI"
+chmod +x "./$EXE_FILE"
 echo "Finished downloading $EXE_FILE"
 
 echo "Installing Vulkan SDK $VULKAN_SDK_VER..."
-"$DESTINATION" --root "$VULKAN_ROOT_UNIX" --accept-licenses --default-answer --confirm-command install
+if net session > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    ./$EXE_FILE --root "$VULKAN_ROOT" --accept-licenses --default-answer --confirm-command install
+else
+    DESTINATION=$(cygpath -w "$PWD/$EXE_FILE")
+    powershell.exe -Command "
+    Start-Process \"$DESTINATION\" -Verb RunAs -ArgumentList @(
+        '--root', '$VULKAN_ROOT',
+        '--accept-licenses',
+        '--default-answer',
+        '--confirm-command',
+        'install'
+    )"
+fi
 
 echo "Finished installing Vulkan SDK $VULKAN_SDK_VER"
 
 # GitHub Actions integration
-if [ "${GITHUB_ACTIONS:-false}" = "true" ]; then
-    echo "VULKAN_SDK=$VULKAN_SDK" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
-    echo "$VULKAN_SDK/bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
-fi
-
+if [ \"${GITHUB_ACTIONS:-false}\" = \"true\" ]; then
+    echo \"VULKAN_SDK=$VULKAN_ROOT\" >> \"$GITHUB_ENV\"
+    echo \"$VULKAN_ROOT/bin\" >> \"$GITHUB_PATH\"
+fi
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tools/windows/load-msvc-env.ps1 b/tools/windows/load-msvc-env.ps1
index 5b5e87e5b5..465a1da314 100644
--- a/tools/windows/load-msvc-env.ps1
+++ b/tools/windows/load-msvc-env.ps1
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright 2025 Eden Emulator Project
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
-$osArch = [System.Runtime.InteropServices.RuntimeInformation]::OSArchitecture
+$archRaw = $env:PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE
 
 switch ($osArch) {
-    "X64"   { $arch = "x64" }
-    "Arm64" { $arch = "arm64" }
+    "AMD64" { $arch = "x64" }
+    "ARM64" { $arch = "arm64" }
     default {
         Write-Error "load-msvc-env.ps1: Unsupported architecture: $osArch"
         exit 1
diff --git a/tools/windows/load-msvc-env.sh b/tools/windows/load-msvc-env.sh
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 5f40534f05..b729eaabfb
--- a/tools/windows/load-msvc-env.sh
+++ b/tools/windows/load-msvc-env.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,44 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright 2025 Eden Emulator Project
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
-# shellcheck disable=SC2154
-CLPATH=$(cygpath -u "$VCToolsInstallDir\\bin\\Host${VSCMD_ARG_HOST_ARCH}\\${VSCMD_ARG_TGT_ARCH}")
-export PATH="$CLPATH:$PATH"
+ARCH_RAW="$PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE"
+
+case "$ARCH_RAW" in
+    AMD64) ARCH="x64" ;;
+    ARM64) ARCH="arm64" ;;
+    *) echo "load-msvc-env.sh: Unsupported architecture: $ARCH_RAW"; exit 1 ;;
+esac
+
+VS_BASE=""
+for p in \
+    "/c/Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/18/Community" \
+	"/c/Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/17/Community" \
+    "/c/Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/2022/Community"
+do
+    echo "load-msvc-env.sh: $p"
+    if [ -d "$p/VC/Auxiliary/Build" ]; then
+        VS_BASE="$p"
+        break
+    fi
+done
+
+if [ -z "$VS_BASE" ]; then
+    echo "load-msvc-env.sh: Could not locate Visual Studio installation."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+MSVC_ROOT="$VS_BASE/VC/Tools/MSVC"
+if [ ! -d "$MSVC_ROOT" ]; then
+    echo "load-msvc-env.sh: Could not locate MSVC tools: $MSVC_ROOT"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+MSVC_VER=$(ls "$MSVC_ROOT" | sort -V | tail -n1)
+BIN_PATH="$MSVC_ROOT/$MSVC_VER/bin/Host$ARCH/$ARCH"
+
+export PATH="$BIN_PATH:$PATH"
+
+echo "MSVC environment loaded:"
+echo "  VS path:   $VS_BASE"
+echo "  MSVC ver:  $MSVC_VER"
+echo "  Arch:      $ARCH"
\ No newline at end of file