diff --git a/.github/workflows/builds.yml b/.github/workflows/builds.yml
index 89fe326..cb31033 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/builds.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/builds.yml
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
-name: libusbK builds with nuget WDK
+name: libusbK builds with pre-installed WDK
 
 on: [push, pull_request]
 
 jobs:
+
   build-project:
     name: Build (${{ matrix.platform }})
-    runs-on: windows-2022
+    runs-on: windows-2022   # WDK 10.0.26100.16 pre-installed
+
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -15,62 +17,94 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout Repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
 
-      - name: Setup MSBuild Configuration
+      - name: Setup MSBuild
         uses: microsoft/setup-msbuild@v3
 
-      - name: Setup NuGet Environment
-        uses: NuGet/setup-nuget@v3
-
-      # Pulls down the driver compilation environment directly into the workspace
-      - name: Restore WDK Packages
-        shell: powershell
-        working-directory: libusbK
+      # Locate the pre-installed WDK and expose key tool paths as env vars
+      - name: Locate pre-installed WDK
+        shell: pwsh
         run: |
-          nuget install Microsoft.Windows.WDK.x64 -Version "10.0.26100.2454" -OutputDirectory packages
+          $reg = Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Kits\Installed Roots" -ErrorAction Stop
+          $kitRoot = $reg.KitsRoot10
+          Write-Output "WDK root: $kitRoot"
+
+          # Find the highest build number under bin\
+          $wdkBin = Get-ChildItem "$kitRoot\bin" -Directory |
+            Where-Object { $_.Name -match '^\d+\.\d+\.\d+\.\d+$' } |
+            Sort-Object Name -Descending |
+            Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty FullName
+
+          Write-Output "WDK bin: $wdkBin"
 
-      # Dynamically maps the restored NuGet WDK paths structurally into the compiler framework
+          $inf2cat  = "$wdkBin\x86\Inf2Cat.exe"
+          $signtool = "$wdkBin\x64\signtool.exe"
+          $stampinf = "$wdkBin\x64\stampinf.exe"
+
+          # Verify tools exist
+          foreach ($tool in $inf2cat, $signtool, $stampinf) {
+            if (Test-Path $tool) { Write-Output "Found: $tool" }
+            else                  { Write-Warning "NOT found: $tool" }
+          }
+
+          # Expose to subsequent steps
+          echo "WDK_BIN=$wdkBin"    >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "INF2CAT=$inf2cat"   >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "SIGNTOOL=$signtool" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "STAMPINF=$stampinf" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
+
+      # Inject WDK include path via Directory.Build.props so MSBuild can
+      # find ntddk.h without a full WDK Visual Studio extension install
       - name: Configure WDK Include Intercepts
-        shell: powershell
+        shell: pwsh
         run: |
+          $reg = Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Kits\Installed Roots"
+          $kitRoot = $reg.KitsRoot10
+
+          $wdkVer = Get-ChildItem "$kitRoot\bin" -Directory |
+            Where-Object { $_.Name -match '^\d+\.\d+\.\d+\.\d+$' } |
+            Sort-Object Name -Descending |
+            Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty Name
+
           $PropsContent = @"
           <Project>
             <PropertyGroup>
               <TargetVersion>Windows10</TargetVersion>
-              <TargetPlatformVersion>10.0.26100.0</TargetPlatformVersion>
+              <TargetPlatformVersion>$wdkVer</TargetPlatformVersion>
               <IncludeWdkHeaders>true</IncludeWdkHeaders>
             </PropertyGroup>
-            <ItemDefinitionGroup>
-              <ClCompile>
-                <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>`$(SolutionDir)packages\Microsoft.Windows.WDK.x64.10.0.26100.2454\build\native\include;`$(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
-              </ClCompile>
-            </ItemDefinitionGroup>
           </Project>
           "@
-          $PropsContent | Out-File -FilePath "libusbK\Directory.Build.props" -Encoding utf8
-          Write-Output "Successfully generated structural Directory.Build.props file."
+          $PropsContent | Out-File -FilePath "libusbK\Directory.Build.props" -Encoding utf8BOM
+          Write-Output "Generated Directory.Build.props with TargetPlatformVersion=$wdkVer"
 
-      # Build User-space Libraries (x86, x64, ARM64)
-      # This step will inherently pick up the TargetPlatformVersion from the props file safely
+      # Build user-space library (all platforms)
       - name: Build User Libraries
         shell: cmd
         working-directory: libusbK
         run: |
           echo === Building User Space Libs ===
-          msbuild src\lib\libusbK_lib.vcxproj /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=${{ matrix.platform }} /m
+          msbuild src\lib\libusbK_lib.vcxproj ^
+            /p:Configuration=Release ^
+            /p:Platform=${{ matrix.platform }} ^
+            /m /nologo /v:minimal
 
-      # Build Kernel Drivers (x64, ARM64 Only)
-      # The Directory.Build.props file guarantees 'ntddk.h' resolves natively inside the global workspace
+      # Build kernel driver (x64 and ARM64 only)
       - name: Build Kernel Drivers
         if: matrix.platform != 'Win32'
         shell: cmd
         working-directory: libusbK
         run: |
           echo === Building Driver (.sys) ===
-          msbuild src\sys\libusbK_sys.vcxproj /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=${{ matrix.platform }} /p:DriverTargetPlatform="Desktop" /p:ApiValidatorAnalyze=false /p:InfVerif=false /m
+          msbuild src\sys\libusbK_sys.vcxproj ^
+            /p:Configuration=Release ^
+            /p:Platform=${{ matrix.platform }} ^
+            /p:DriverTargetPlatform=Desktop ^
+            /p:ApiValidatorAnalyze=false ^
+            /p:InfVerif=false ^
+            /m /nologo /v:minimal
 
-      # Collect and Securely Export Output Binaries
       - name: Collect and Upload Artifacts
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: libusbK-windows-2022-${{ matrix.platform }}-Output
           path: |