diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-test-distribute.yml b/.github/workflows/build-test-distribute.yml
index 4389455e062a..ffecd0c93bd5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-test-distribute.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-test-distribute.yml
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ jobs:
       - linux-vcpkg-build-test
       - macos-build-test
     timeout-minutes: 20
-    runs-on: windows-2025
+    runs-on: windows-2022
     steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v6
diff --git a/.github/workflows/config.yml b/.github/workflows/config.yml
index 133354c0c06c..f6b53affbe1d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/config.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/config.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ on:
         value: "2024.10.21" # fixed version - refer 'vcpkg-auto-update.yml' for more info
       vs22_vcpkg_version:
         description: "vs22 vcpkg version"
-        value: "2026.03.18" # VCPKG-AUTO-UPDATE - refer 'vcpkg-auto-update.yml' for more info
+        value: "2026.04.27" # VCPKG-AUTO-UPDATE - refer 'vcpkg-auto-update.yml' for more info
       # automatically computed or tag-based values
       app_version:
         description: "Version without namespace: v1.2.3.4"
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ jobs:
 
           jq \
             --arg vs19 "2024.10.21" \
-            --arg vs22 "2026.03.18" \
+            --arg vs22 "2026.04.27" \
             '(.include[] | select(.["vcpkg-version"]=="__VCPKG_VERSION_VS19__") | .["vcpkg-version"]) = $vs19
             | (.include[] | select(.["vcpkg-version"]=="__VCPKG_VERSION_VS22__") | .["vcpkg-version"]) = $vs22' \
             "$MATRIX_FILE" > tmp.json
diff --git a/.github/workflows/distro-release.yml b/.github/workflows/distro-release.yml
index 04434cac0ecd..2ce1f4ea5685 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/distro-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/distro-release.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
       vs19_vcpkg_version: "2024.10.21"
-      vs22_vcpkg_version: "2026.03.18"
+      vs22_vcpkg_version: "2026.04.27"
     outputs:
       app_version: ${{ steps.set.outputs.app_version }}
       release_tag: ${{ steps.set.outputs.release_tag }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pip-build.yml b/.github/workflows/pip-build.yml
index 808a397737f8..4f855221ea1b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pip-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pip-build.yml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ on:
         type: boolean
 
 env:
-  VCPKG-VERSION: '2026.03.18'
+  VCPKG-VERSION: '2026.04.27'
   CUDA-VERSION: '12.0.1.52833'
   CUDA-MAJOR: '12'
   CUDA-MINOR: '0'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/prepare-images.yml b/.github/workflows/prepare-images.yml
index 6f4a7f6d4794..189139912760 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/prepare-images.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/prepare-images.yml
@@ -200,15 +200,15 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         include:
           - vs: vs2022
-            runner: windows-2025
+            runner: windows-2022
             vcpkg-version: ${{ inputs.vs22_vcpkg_version }}
             vcpkg_triplet: x64-windows-meshlib
           - vs: vs2019
-            runner: windows-2025
+            runner: windows-2022
             vcpkg-version: ${{ inputs.vs19_vcpkg_version }}
             vcpkg_triplet: x64-windows-vs2019-meshlib
           - vs: vs2019
-            runner: windows-2025
+            runner: windows-2022
             vcpkg-version: ${{ inputs.vs19_vcpkg_version }}
             vcpkg_triplet: x64-windows-meshlib-iterator-debug
     steps:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-distribution.yml b/.github/workflows/test-distribution.yml
index 062d2e7474ce..664d90cb3c39 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-distribution.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-distribution.yml
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ jobs:
   
   windows-test:
     if: ${{ inputs.test_windows }}
-    runs-on: windows-2025
+    runs-on: windows-2022
     timeout-minutes: 30
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
diff --git a/.github/workflows/update-win-version.yml b/.github/workflows/update-win-version.yml
index bbc9f86191ce..929908b0a0e2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/update-win-version.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/update-win-version.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ on:
 jobs:
   update-win-version:
     timeout-minutes: 60
-    runs-on: windows-2025
+    runs-on: windows-2022
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
diff --git a/docker/rockylinux8-vcpkgDockerfile b/docker/rockylinux8-vcpkgDockerfile
index 78be8a4435b3..aa905c143574 100644
--- a/docker/rockylinux8-vcpkgDockerfile
+++ b/docker/rockylinux8-vcpkgDockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-ARG VCPKG_VERSION=2026.03.18
+ARG VCPKG_VERSION=2026.04.27
 ARG VCPKG_TRIPLET=x64-linux-meshlib
 
 
diff --git a/docker/rockylinux9-vcpkgDockerfile b/docker/rockylinux9-vcpkgDockerfile
index 915fa1519616..a55b455f38f7 100644
--- a/docker/rockylinux9-vcpkgDockerfile
+++ b/docker/rockylinux9-vcpkgDockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-ARG VCPKG_VERSION=2026.03.18
+ARG VCPKG_VERSION=2026.04.27
 ARG VCPKG_TRIPLET=x64-linux-meshlib
 
 
diff --git a/doxygen/general_pages/CppSetupGuide.dox b/doxygen/general_pages/CppSetupGuide.dox
index f9c731e55165..de7d7e66c7c8 100644
--- a/doxygen/general_pages/CppSetupGuide.dox
+++ b/doxygen/general_pages/CppSetupGuide.dox
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ git checkout 2024.10.21
 \endcode
 If you're using Visual Studio 2022 or 2026, you can use the latest version of vcpkg:
 \code{.cmd}
-git checkout 2026.03.18
+git checkout 2026.04.27
 \endcode
 The version `2024.10.21` is required only for compatibility with **Visual Studio 2019**.
    5. **Run the bootstrap script to build the** `vcpkg` **executable**:
diff --git a/source/MRIOExtras/MRIOExtras.vcxproj b/source/MRIOExtras/MRIOExtras.vcxproj
index 1cb268e26086..26a832b7dbf8 100644
--- a/source/MRIOExtras/MRIOExtras.vcxproj
+++ b/source/MRIOExtras/MRIOExtras.vcxproj
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ copy $(SolutionDir)$(Platform)\Release\laz-perf.dll $(TargetDir)laz-perf.dll
 copy $(SolutionDir)$(Platform)\Release\laz-perf.exp $(TargetDir)laz-perf.exp
 copy $(SolutionDir)$(Platform)\Release\laz-perf.lib $(TargetDir)laz-perf.lib
 copy $(SolutionDir)$(Platform)\Release\laz-perf.pdb $(TargetDir)laz-perf.pdb
-copy $(VcpkgCurrentInstalledDir)\bin\zlib1.dll $(TargetDir)zlib1.dll</Command>
+copy $(VcpkgCurrentInstalledDir)\bin\zlib-ng2.dll $(TargetDir)zlib-ng2.dll</Command>
     </PostBuildEvent>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">
diff --git a/source/MRPython/CMakeLists.txt b/source/MRPython/CMakeLists.txt
index e850045daaa8..a2a590092e50 100644
--- a/source/MRPython/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/source/MRPython/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ IF(MSVC AND DEFINED VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR AND DEFINED VCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET)
 
   # Need a Release build of Zlib too. In Release mode it usually gets copied with something else, but in Debug we must copy manually.
   # Might as well copy unconditionally here.
-  file(COPY ${VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR}/${VCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET}/bin/zlib1.dll DESTINATION ${CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY})
+  # vcpkg's zlib port is now satisfied by zlib-ng's compat mode, so the DLL is named `zlib-ng2.dll` (was `zlib1.dll` before vcpkg 2026.04.27).
+  file(COPY ${VCPKG_INSTALLED_DIR}/${VCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET}/bin/zlib-ng2.dll DESTINATION ${CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY})
 ENDIF()
 
 IF(WIN32)