diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows-build.yml b/.github/workflows/windows-build.yml
index 0c120595..6c0d453a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows-build.yml
@@ -9,148 +9,41 @@ on:
     branches: [ main, master ]
 
 env:
-  VCPKG_VERSION: "2026.01.16"
-  VCPKG_INSTALLATION_ROOT: "C:\\vcpkg"
   VCPKG_DISABLE_METRICS: "1"
-  VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}\vcpkg_installed
-  VCPKG_DEFAULT_BINARY_CACHE: ${{ github.workspace }}\vcpkg_binary_cache
 
 jobs:
-  prepare-dependencies:
-    name: Prepare Windows Dependencies
-    runs-on: windows-latest
-    outputs:
-      vcpkg_cache_key: ${{ steps.generate_cache_key.outputs.key }}
-    strategy:
-      matrix:
-        arch: [x64]
-
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v6
-
-      - name: Set up MSVC
-        uses: microsoft/setup-msbuild@v3
-
-      - name: Generate Cache Key
-        id: generate_cache_key
-        shell: pwsh
-        run: |
-          $key_value = "${{ runner.os }}-vcpkg-${{ env.VCPKG_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.arch }}-shared-${{ hashFiles('**/vcpkg.json', '**/vcpkg-configuration.json') }}-${{ hashFiles('.github/workflows/windows-build.yml') }}"
-          echo "key=$key_value" >> $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
-      - name: Cache vcpkg installed packages
-        id: cache-vcpkg
-        uses: actions/cache@v5
-        with:
-          path: |
-            ${{ env.VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR }}
-            ${{ env.VCPKG_DEFAULT_BINARY_CACHE }}
-          key: ${{ steps.generate_cache_key.outputs.key }}
-          restore-keys: |
-            ${{ runner.os }}-vcpkg-${{ env.VCPKG_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.arch }}-shared-${{ hashFiles('**/vcpkg.json', '**/vcpkg-configuration.json') }}
-            ${{ runner.os }}-vcpkg-${{ env.VCPKG_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.arch }}-shared-
-
-      - name: Setup vcpkg and install dependencies
-        if: steps.cache-vcpkg.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-        run: |
-          New-Item -Path "${{ env.VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR }}" -ItemType Directory -Force
-          New-Item -Path "${{ env.VCPKG_DEFAULT_BINARY_CACHE }}" -ItemType Directory -Force
-          vcpkg install `
-            --recurse `
-            --clean-after-build `
-            --triplet=${{ matrix.arch }}-windows `
-            --x-install-root=${{ env.VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR }} `
-            --x-feature=test
-        shell: pwsh
-
-  prepare-static-dependencies:
-    name: Prepare Windows Static Dependencies
-    runs-on: windows-latest
-    outputs:
-      vcpkg_static_cache_key: ${{ steps.generate_static_cache_key.outputs.key }}
-    strategy:
-      matrix:
-        arch: [x64]
-
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v6
-
-      - name: Set up MSVC
-        uses: microsoft/setup-msbuild@v3
-
-      - name: Generate Cache Key for Static Libs
-        id: generate_static_cache_key
-        shell: pwsh
-        run: |
-          $key_value = "${{ runner.os }}-vcpkg-${{ env.VCPKG_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.arch }}-static-${{ hashFiles('**/vcpkg.json', '**/vcpkg-configuration.json') }}-${{ hashFiles('.github/workflows/windows-build.yml') }}"
-          echo "key=$key_value" >> $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
-      - name: Cache vcpkg static installed packages
-        id: cache-vcpkg-static
-        uses: actions/cache@v5
-        with:
-          path: |
-            ${{ env.VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR }}
-            ${{ env.VCPKG_DEFAULT_BINARY_CACHE }}
-          key: ${{ steps.generate_static_cache_key.outputs.key }}
-          restore-keys: |
-            ${{ runner.os }}-vcpkg-${{ env.VCPKG_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.arch }}-static-${{ hashFiles('**/vcpkg.json', '**/vcpkg-configuration.json') }}
-            ${{ runner.os }}-vcpkg-${{ env.VCPKG_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.arch }}-static-
-
-      - name: Setup vcpkg and install static dependencies
-        if: steps.cache-vcpkg-static.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-        shell: pwsh
-        run: |
-          New-Item -Path "${{ env.VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR }}" -ItemType Directory -Force
-          New-Item -Path "${{ env.VCPKG_DEFAULT_BINARY_CACHE }}" -ItemType Directory -Force
-          vcpkg install `
-            --recurse `
-            --clean-after-build `
-            --triplet=${{ matrix.arch }}-windows-static-release `
-            --x-install-root=${{ env.VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR }} `
-            --x-feature=test
-
   build-windows:
-    name: Windows MSVC Build
+    name: Windows MSVC (${{ matrix.arch }}-windows, ${{ matrix.build_type }}, C++${{ matrix.cxx_standard }})
     runs-on: windows-latest
-    needs: prepare-dependencies
-    
     strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         build_type: [Debug, Release]
         arch: [x64]
         cxx_standard: [17, 20, 23]
+    env:
+      VCPKG_DEFAULT_TRIPLET: ${{ matrix.arch }}-windows
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Set up MSVC
-        uses: microsoft/setup-msbuild@v3
+        uses: microsoft/setup-msbuild@v2
 
-      - name: Restore vcpkg installed packages
-        id: cache-vcpkg-restore
-        uses: actions/cache/restore@v5
-        with:
-          path: |
-            ${{ env.VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR }}
-            ${{ env.VCPKG_DEFAULT_BINARY_CACHE }}
-          key: ${{ needs.prepare-dependencies.outputs.vcpkg_cache_key }}
-          restore-keys: |
-            ${{ runner.os }}-vcpkg-${{ env.VCPKG_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.arch }}-shared-${{ hashFiles('**/vcpkg.json', '**/vcpkg-configuration.json') }}
-            ${{ runner.os }}-vcpkg-${{ env.VCPKG_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.arch }}-shared-
+      # run-vcpkg downloads & bootstraps vcpkg (commit from vcpkg-configuration.json
+      # baseline), then sets VCPKG_ROOT and VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES to use GitHub
+      # Actions cache for Binary Caching. No manual cache step needed.
+      - name: Setup vcpkg
+        uses: lukka/run-vcpkg@v11
 
       - name: Configure CMake
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
-          mkdir build -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
           cmake -B build `
             -S . `
-            -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=${{ env.VCPKG_INSTALLATION_ROOT }}/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake `
+            -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE="$env:VCPKG_ROOT/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake" `
             -DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=${{ matrix.arch }}-windows `
-            -DVCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR=${{ env.VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR }} `
             -DVCPKG_MANIFEST_FEATURES=test `
             -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{ matrix.build_type }} `
             -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=${{ matrix.cxx_standard }} `
@@ -167,21 +60,15 @@ jobs:
             -A ${{ matrix.arch }}
 
       - name: Build
-        run: |
-          cmake --build build --config ${{ matrix.build_type }} --parallel 4
-          # Copy vcpkg installed libraries to the build directory
-          Copy-Item -Path "${{ env.VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR }}\${{ matrix.arch }}-windows\lib\*.lib" -Destination "build" -Force
-          Copy-Item -Path "${{ env.VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR }}\${{ matrix.arch }}-windows\bin\*.dll" -Destination "build" -Force
+        run: cmake --build build --config ${{ matrix.build_type }} --parallel 4
 
       - name: Test
         if: matrix.build_type == 'Release'
-        run: |
-          cd build
-          ctest --build-config ${{ matrix.build_type }} --output-on-failure --parallel 4
+        run: ctest --test-dir build --build-config ${{ matrix.build_type }} --output-on-failure
 
       - name: Upload build artifacts
         if: matrix.build_type == 'Release'
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: opendht-windows-${{ matrix.arch }}-cxx${{ matrix.cxx_standard }}-${{ matrix.build_type }}
           path: |
@@ -191,43 +78,34 @@ jobs:
           retention-days: 7
 
   build-windows-static:
-    name: Windows Static MSVC Build
+    name: Windows Static MSVC (${{ matrix.arch }}-windows-static-release, ${{ matrix.build_type }}, C++${{ matrix.cxx_standard }})
     runs-on: windows-latest
-    needs: prepare-static-dependencies
     strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         build_type: [Release]
         arch: [x64]
         cxx_standard: [17, 20, 23]
+    env:
+      VCPKG_DEFAULT_TRIPLET: ${{ matrix.arch }}-windows-static-release
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Set up MSVC
-        uses: microsoft/setup-msbuild@v3
+        uses: microsoft/setup-msbuild@v2
+
+      - name: Setup vcpkg
+        uses: lukka/run-vcpkg@v11
 
-      - name: Restore vcpkg static installed packages
-        id: cache-vcpkg-static-restore
-        uses: actions/cache/restore@v5
-        with:
-          path: |
-            ${{ env.VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR }}
-            ${{ env.VCPKG_DEFAULT_BINARY_CACHE }}
-          key: ${{ needs.prepare-static-dependencies.outputs.vcpkg_static_cache_key }}
-          restore-keys: |
-            ${{ runner.os }}-vcpkg-${{ env.VCPKG_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.arch }}-static-${{ hashFiles('**/vcpkg.json', '**/vcpkg-configuration.json') }}
-            ${{ runner.os }}-vcpkg-${{ env.VCPKG_VERSION }}-${{ matrix.arch }}-static-
-      
       - name: Configure CMake for Static Build
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
-          mkdir build -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
           cmake -B build `
             -S . `
-            -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=${{ env.VCPKG_INSTALLATION_ROOT }}/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake `
+            -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE="$env:VCPKG_ROOT/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake" `
             -DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=${{ matrix.arch }}-windows-static-release `
-            -DVCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR=${{ env.VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR }} `
             -DVCPKG_MANIFEST_FEATURES=test `
             -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{ matrix.build_type }} `
             -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=${{ matrix.cxx_standard }} `
@@ -245,18 +123,13 @@ jobs:
             -A ${{ matrix.arch }}
 
       - name: Build Static
-        shell: pwsh
-        run: |
-          cmake --build build --config ${{ matrix.build_type }} --parallel 4
+        run: cmake --build build --config ${{ matrix.build_type }} --parallel 4
 
       - name: Test Static Build
-        shell: pwsh
-        run: |
-          cd build
-          ctest --build-config ${{ matrix.build_type }} --output-on-failure --parallel 4
+        run: ctest --test-dir build --build-config ${{ matrix.build_type }} --output-on-failure
 
       - name: Upload static build artifacts
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: opendht-windows-static-${{ matrix.arch }}-cxx${{ matrix.cxx_standard }}-${{ matrix.build_type }}
           path: |
@@ -275,7 +148,7 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Setup MinGW
         uses: msys2/setup-msys2@v2