diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows.yml b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
index df918d54a5..c4b71cdae4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
@@ -43,11 +43,11 @@ env:
 jobs:
   cygwin:
     name: "cygwin, ${{ matrix.build == 'cmake' && 'CM' || 'AM' }} ${{ matrix.platform }} ${{ matrix.name }}"
-    runs-on: windows-latest
+    runs-on: windows-2025
     timeout-minutes: 15
     defaults:
       run:
-        shell: D:\cygwin\bin\bash.exe '{0}'
+        shell: C:\cygwin\bin\bash.exe '{0}'
     env:
       MAKEFLAGS: -j 5
       SHELLOPTS: 'igncr'
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ jobs:
         with:
           platform: ${{ matrix.platform }}
           site: https://mirrors.kernel.org/sourceware/cygwin/
-          work-vol: 'D:'
           # https://cygwin.com/cgi-bin2/package-grep.cgi
           packages: >-
             autoconf libtool gcc-core gcc-g++ binutils
@@ -187,7 +186,7 @@ jobs:
 
   msys2:  # both msys and mingw-w64
     name: "${{ matrix.sys == 'msys' && 'msys2' || 'mingw' }}, ${{ matrix.build == 'cmake' && 'CM' || 'AM' }} ${{ matrix.env }} ${{ matrix.name }} ${{ matrix.test }}"
-    runs-on: ${{ matrix.image || 'windows-latest' }}
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.image || 'windows-2025' }}
     timeout-minutes: 15
     defaults:
       run:
@@ -414,7 +413,7 @@ jobs:
 
   mingw-w64-standalone-downloads:
     name: 'dl-mingw, CM ${{ matrix.ver }}-${{ matrix.env }} ${{ matrix.name }}'
-    runs-on: windows-latest
+    runs-on: windows-2025
     timeout-minutes: 15
     defaults:
       run:
@@ -482,7 +481,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/cache@d4323d4df104b026a6aa633fdb11d772146be0bf # v4
         id: cache-compiler
         with:
-          path: D:\my-cache
+          path: C:\my-cache
           key: ${{ runner.os }}-mingw-w64-${{ matrix.ver }}-${{ matrix.env }}
 
       - name: 'install compiler (gcc ${{ matrix.ver }}-${{ matrix.env }})'
@@ -491,7 +490,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           MATRIX_URL: '${{ matrix.url }}'
         run: |
-          cd /d
+          cd /c
           mkdir my-cache
           cd my-cache
           curl --disable --fail --silent --show-error --connect-timeout 15 --max-time 240 --retry 3 --retry-connrefused \
@@ -515,7 +514,7 @@ jobs:
           MATRIX_TYPE: '${{ matrix.type }}'
           TFLAGS: '${{ matrix.tflags }}'
         run: |
-          PATH="/d/my-cache/${MATRIX_DIR}/bin:$PATH"
+          PATH="/c/my-cache/${MATRIX_DIR}/bin:$PATH"
           for _chkprefill in '' ${MATRIX_CHKPREFILL}; do
             options=''
             [ "${TFLAGS}" = 'skiprun' ] && options+=' -D_CURL_SKIP_BUILD_CERTS=ON'
@@ -545,7 +544,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: 'build'
         timeout-minutes: 5
         run: |
-          PATH="/d/my-cache/${MATRIX_DIR}/bin:$PATH"
+          PATH="/c/my-cache/${MATRIX_DIR}/bin:$PATH"
           cmake --build bld
 
       - name: 'curl version'
@@ -559,7 +558,7 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{ matrix.tflags != 'skipall' }}
         timeout-minutes: 10
         run: |
-          PATH="/d/my-cache/${MATRIX_DIR}/bin:$PATH"
+          PATH="/c/my-cache/${MATRIX_DIR}/bin:$PATH"
           cmake --build bld --target testdeps
 
       - name: 'install test prereqs'
@@ -575,7 +574,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           TFLAGS: '${{ matrix.tflags }}'
         run: |
-          PATH="/d/my-cache/${MATRIX_DIR}/bin:$PATH"
+          PATH="/c/my-cache/${MATRIX_DIR}/bin:$PATH"
           TFLAGS="-j8 ${TFLAGS}"
           TFLAGS+=' !498'  # 'Reject too large HTTP response headers on endless redirects' HTTP, HTTP GET (runtests detecting result code 2009 instead of 56 returned by curl)
           if [ -x "$(cygpath "${SYSTEMROOT}/System32/curl.exe")" ]; then
@@ -588,7 +587,7 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{ !contains(matrix.name, '!examples') }}
         timeout-minutes: 5
         run: |
-          PATH="/d/my-cache/${MATRIX_DIR}/bin:$PATH"
+          PATH="/c/my-cache/${MATRIX_DIR}/bin:$PATH"
           cmake --build bld --target curl-examples
 
       - name: 'disk space used'
@@ -697,7 +696,7 @@ jobs:
 
   msvc:
     name: 'msvc, CM ${{ matrix.arch }}-${{ matrix.plat }} ${{ matrix.name }}'
-    runs-on: ${{ matrix.image || 'windows-latest' }}
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.image || 'windows-2025' }}
     timeout-minutes: 15
     defaults:
       run:
@@ -721,7 +720,6 @@ jobs:
             env: 'ucrt-x86_64'
             plat: 'uwp'
             type: 'Debug'
-            image: 'windows-2025'
             tflags: 'skiprun'
             config: >-
               -DENABLE_DEBUG=ON
@@ -895,7 +893,7 @@ jobs:
               pwsh -Command 'Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name OpenSSH.Server~~~~0.0.1.0'
             fi
           else  # OpenSSH-Windows
-            cd /c  # no D: drive on windows-11-arm runners
+            cd /c
             curl --disable --fail --silent --show-error --connect-timeout 15 --max-time 60 --retry 3 --retry-connrefused \
               --location "https://github.com/PowerShell/Win32-OpenSSH/releases/download/${OPENSSH_WINDOWS_VERSION}/OpenSSH-Win64.zip" --output bin.zip
             unzip bin.zip