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Bump Windows image version in GitHub Actions to 2025 #806

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7 changes: 6 additions & 1 deletion .github/workflows/msvc-build.yml
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ permissions: {}

jobs:
build:
runs-on: windows-2022
runs-on: windows-2025
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@coderabbitai coderabbitai Bot Nov 20, 2025

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⚠️ Potential issue | 🟠 Major

🧩 Analysis chain

Verify windows-2025 runner availability and build compatibility.

The upgrade from windows-2022 to windows-2025 is straightforward, but you need to confirm:

  1. windows-2025 is currently available as a GitHub Actions runner image
  2. All existing CMake presets and build configurations (especially MSVC, clang-cl, ASan variants) are compatible with the newer Windows/toolchain environment
  3. No breaking changes in vcpkg or other dependencies used by the project

🌐 Web query:

Is windows-2025 available as a GitHub Actions runner image?

💡 Result:

Yes. GitHub-hosted runner image windows-2025 is available — you can use runs-on: windows-2025 (GA since April 8, 2025). [1][2]

Sources:
[1] GitHub Changelog: macOS 15 and Windows 2025 images are now generally available.
[2] GitHub Actions docs: GitHub-hosted runners reference (lists windows-2025).

🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
# Examine the full workflow file to understand build configs and dependencies
cat .github/workflows/msvc-build.yml

Length of output: 3843

</web_search>

🌐 Web query:

windows-2025 GitHub Actions MSVC ASan Address Sanitizer compatibility

💡 Result:

Short answer: Yes — MSVC's AddressSanitizer is supported and can be used on GitHub Actions' windows-2025 runners, but you must enable it in your build and ensure the ASan runtime is available at runtime.

Key points and steps

  • MSVC has supported ASan since Visual Studio 2019 (16.9+) and it’s maintained in later VS/MSVC releases; you enable it with the compiler flag /fsanitize=address (and the toolchain/linker will normally pull the ASan runtime). [1][2].
  • GitHub-hosted windows-2025 runner images are available and include Visual Studio / MSVC toolchains used on Actions images; you can target them with runs-on: windows-2025. [3][4].
  • Practical checklist for CI on windows-2025:
    1. Build with /fsanitize=address (and /Zi for debug info when useful). [2][5].
    2. Ensure the C++ AddressSanitizer component/runtime (clang_rt.asan*.dll / .lib) is present on the runner — either installed with Visual Studio on the image or copied onto PATH before running tests. If your build uses static CRT (/MT) you may need the ASan DLL on PATH per MSVC docs. [2][6].
    3. If using CMake/other build systems, only add the flag to compile (not the MSVC linker) per typical CMake/MSVC guidance. [7].
    4. Add/adjust ASAN_OPTIONS or environment vars as needed for behavior (continue_on_error, etc.) documented by MSVC/ASan. [5].

Notes and caveats

  • The runner images evolve; confirm which Visual Studio/MSVC version is installed on the specific windows-2025 image you use (the runner-images repo / GitHub Actions docs list image software and releases). If your workflow requires a specific VS version or the C++ AddressSanitizer component, verify that image release or install the Build Tools/component at runtime. [3][4].
  • Some runner image issues (e.g., WSL presence) and component changes are tracked in the runner-images repo — check it if you hit missing-component errors. [4][8].

If you want, I can: (A) check the exact Visual Studio/MSVC version and whether the C++ AddressSanitizer component is present in the current windows-2025 image build you plan to use, or (B) produce a minimal GitHub Actions job YAML that builds and runs MSVC ASan on windows-2025. Which would you prefer?

Sources
[1] Microsoft C++ Team blog — AddressSanitizer for Windows / MSVC history and usage.
[2] Microsoft docs & blog posts about MSVC ASan runtime behavior and /fsanitize=address usage.
[3] GitHub Docs — GitHub-hosted runners reference (windows-2025 label).
[4] actions/runner-images (GitHub) — windows-2025 image releases and notes.
[5] Visual Studio release notes / ASan continue_on_error doc.
[6] Visual Studio installer component ID list (C++ AddressSanitizer component).
[7] CMake/MSVC guidance (example projects referencing /fsanitize usage).
[8] runner-images issues (reports about image components).

</web_search>

🌐 Web query:

github actions windows-2025 runner image Visual Studio AddressSanitizer component installed

💡 Result:

Short answer: GitHub's windows-2025 runner image does not document that the Visual Studio "C++ AddressSanitizer" component (component id Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.ASAN) is preinstalled. Check the image SBOM or the actions/runner-images Windows-2025 software list to confirm for a specific image build — if ASan isn't listed you must install/enable it in your workflow or install the VS component at runtime. [1][2][3]

How to verify / next steps

  • View the windows-2025 image software list or release notes in the actions/runner-images repo (they publish per-build software lists and SBOMs). Use that to see whether Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.ASAN or equivalent is present. [1][2]
  • Microsoft documents the component id as Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.ASAN (C++ AddressSanitizer) in the Visual Studio installer. If it's not on the runner you can install the component via the Visual Studio Installer or add the MSVC ASan runtime/tooling in your job. [4]

Sources

  • actions/runner-images releases / Windows Server 2025 image notes (image/SBOM published there). [1][2]
  • GitHub Docs on hosted runner images / SBOMs. [3]
  • Visual Studio workload/component ids (Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.ASAN = C++ AddressSanitizer). [4]

References
[1] https://github.com/actions/runner-images/releases
[2] actions/runner-images#11742 (Windows Server 2025 GA notes)
[3] https://docs.github.com/actions/using-github-hosted-runners/about-github-hosted-runners/about-github-hosted-runners
[4] https://learn.microsoft.com/visualstudio/install/workload-component-id-vs-professional (Visual Studio component IDs)

</web_search>

🌐 Web query:

vcpkg windows-2025 boost compatibility

💡 Result:

Short answer: Yes — the GitHub Actions windows-2025 runner includes vcpkg and you can install/build Boost with vcpkg on that image, but ensure the vcpkg triplet/MSVC toolset you use matches the runner's Visual Studio/MSVC versions (use x64-windows or the matching triplet/manifest and the vcpkg toolchain file in CMake). [1][2][3][4]

What to do (quick):

  • On windows-2025 the image ships vcpkg (recent build). Use vcpkg exactly as usual: bootstrap if needed and either vcpkg install boost:x64-windows or list boost-* components in a vcpkg manifest. [2][3]
  • In CMake use -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=<vcpkg_root>/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake and -DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=. [4]
  • If you hit build/toolset mismatch errors, confirm which Visual Studio/MSVC version is on the windows-2025 image and pick the triplet/MSVC toolset accordingly or install the required toolset in the job. [1][2]

Sources:

  • GitHub-hosted runners / windows-2025 image details. [1][3]
  • Actions runner-images release notes showing vcpkg builds on the Windows 2025 image. [2]
  • vcpkg Boost ports and manifest usage (install boost or use manifest mode). [4][3]

ASan component is not preinstalled on windows-2025 — your ASan presets will fail.

The windows-2025 runner does not document that the Visual Studio "C++ AddressSanitizer" component (Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.ASAN) is preinstalled. Your workflow includes two ASan presets (msvc-debug-asan and msvc-release-asan) in the matrix, but you have no step to install or enable the component.

Either:

  1. Verify the component is present in the windows-2025 image SBOM (check the actions/runner-images repo)
  2. Add a step to install the Visual Studio C++ AddressSanitizer component at runtime
  3. Remove the ASan presets from the matrix

vcpkg and boost build fine on windows-2025 with standard usage, so no issues there.

🤖 Prompt for AI Agents 
In .github/workflows/msvc-build.yml around line 14, the workflow uses runs-on:
windows-2025 but the Visual Studio "C++ AddressSanitizer" component
(Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.ASAN) is not guaranteed to be preinstalled,
so the ASan matrix entries will fail; fix by either (A) verifying the component
is present in the windows-2025 image SBOM and keep presets, (B) add a pre-build
workflow step that installs/enables the Visual Studio C++ AddressSanitizer
component (Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.ASAN) using the Visual Studio
installer before any ASan build runs, or (C) remove the msvc-debug-asan and
msvc-release-asan presets from the matrix—choose one and update the workflow
accordingly.


env:
EXAMPLE_PRESETS: >-
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ jobs:
- name: Setup command line tools
uses: ilammy/msvc-dev-cmd@v1 # zizmor: ignore[unpinned-uses]

- name: Install cppcheck
run: |
del C:\Strawberry\c\bin\cppcheck.exe
choco install cppcheck -y

- name: Install dependencies
run: |
vcpkg install boost-accumulators boost-stacktrace:x64-windows-static `
Expand Down
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