diff --git a/gix-archive/tests/archive.rs b/gix-archive/tests/archive.rs
index 1a0b1cf895a..9ffc9bf60ad 100644
--- a/gix-archive/tests/archive.rs
+++ b/gix-archive/tests/archive.rs
@@ -27,12 +27,6 @@ mod from_tree {
                 entry.read_to_end(&mut buf).expect("stream can always be read");
             }
 
-            let expected_link_mode = EntryKind::Link;
-            let expected_exe_mode = if cfg!(windows) {
-                EntryKind::Blob
-            } else {
-                EntryKind::BlobExecutable
-            };
             assert_eq!(
                 paths_and_modes,
                 &[
@@ -48,7 +42,7 @@ mod from_tree {
                     ),
                     (
                         "symlink-to-a".into(),
-                        expected_link_mode,
+                        EntryKind::Link,
                         hex_to_id("2e65efe2a145dda7ee51d1741299f848e5bf752e")
                     ),
                     (
@@ -58,7 +52,7 @@ mod from_tree {
                     ),
                     (
                         "dir/subdir/exe".into(),
-                        expected_exe_mode,
+                        EntryKind::BlobExecutable,
                         hex_to_id("e69de29bb2d1d6434b8b29ae775ad8c2e48c5391")
                     ),
                     (
@@ -68,7 +62,11 @@ mod from_tree {
                     ),
                     (
                         "extra-exe".into(),
-                        expected_exe_mode,
+                        if cfg!(windows) {
+                            EntryKind::Blob
+                        } else {
+                            EntryKind::BlobExecutable
+                        },
                         hex_to_id("0000000000000000000000000000000000000000")
                     ),
                     (
@@ -78,7 +76,7 @@ mod from_tree {
                     ),
                     (
                         "extra-dir/symlink-to-extra".into(),
-                        expected_link_mode,
+                        EntryKind::Link,
                         hex_to_id("0000000000000000000000000000000000000000")
                     )
                 ]
@@ -111,20 +109,23 @@ mod from_tree {
                     header.mode()?,
                 ));
             }
-            let expected_symlink_type = EntryType::Symlink;
-            let expected_exe_mode = if cfg!(windows) { 420 } else { 493 };
             assert_eq!(
                 out,
                 [
                     ("prefix/.gitattributes", EntryType::Regular, 56, 420),
                     ("prefix/a", EntryType::Regular, 3, 420),
-                    ("prefix/symlink-to-a", expected_symlink_type, 0, 420),
+                    ("prefix/symlink-to-a", EntryType::Symlink, 0, 420),
                     ("prefix/dir/b", EntryType::Regular, 3, 420),
-                    ("prefix/dir/subdir/exe", EntryType::Regular, 0, expected_exe_mode),
+                    ("prefix/dir/subdir/exe", EntryType::Regular, 0, 493),
                     ("prefix/extra-file", EntryType::Regular, 21, 420),
-                    ("prefix/extra-exe", EntryType::Regular, 0, expected_exe_mode),
+                    (
+                        "prefix/extra-exe",
+                        EntryType::Regular,
+                        0,
+                        if cfg!(windows) { 420 } else { 493 }
+                    ),
                     ("prefix/extra-dir-empty", EntryType::Directory, 0, 420),
-                    ("prefix/extra-dir/symlink-to-extra", expected_symlink_type, 0, 420)
+                    ("prefix/extra-dir/symlink-to-extra", EntryType::Symlink, 0, 420)
                 ]
                 .into_iter()
                 .map(|(path, b, c, d)| (bstr::BStr::new(path).to_owned(), b, c, d))
diff --git a/gix-archive/tests/fixtures/basic.sh b/gix-archive/tests/fixtures/basic.sh
index 5cd4c2e859c..f8a8c8bea3e 100755
--- a/gix-archive/tests/fixtures/basic.sh
+++ b/gix-archive/tests/fixtures/basic.sh
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ echo "/dir-ignored/ export-ignore" > .gitattributes
 echo "/file-ignored export-ignore" >> .gitattributes
 
 git add .
+git update-index --chmod=+x dir/subdir/exe  # For Windows.
 git commit -m "init"
 
 echo "extra to be streamed" > extra-file
@@ -28,4 +29,3 @@ mkdir extra-dir-empty extra-dir
 ln -s ../extra-file extra-dir/symlink-to-extra
 
 git rev-parse @^{tree} > head.hex
-
diff --git a/gix-dir/tests/fixtures/many-symlinks.sh b/gix-dir/tests/fixtures/many-symlinks.sh
index fdebe1021a7..8d3d60e4865 100755
--- a/gix-dir/tests/fixtures/many-symlinks.sh
+++ b/gix-dir/tests/fixtures/many-symlinks.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -eu -o pipefail
 
-# Note that symlink creation fails on Windows for some reason,
-# so these tests shouldn't be run there.
+# These fixtures use symlinks. See `many.sh` for some that don't.
 
 git init breakout-symlink
 (cd breakout-symlink
@@ -20,7 +19,7 @@ git init immediate-breakout-symlink
 
 git init excluded-symlinks-to-dir
 (cd excluded-symlinks-to-dir
-  cat <<EOF >.gitignore
+  cat <<'EOF' >.gitignore
 src1
 src2/
 file1
@@ -42,4 +41,4 @@ EOF
   ln -s src/file file2
 )
 
-ln -s excluded-symlinks-to-dir worktree-root-is-symlink
\ No newline at end of file
+ln -s excluded-symlinks-to-dir worktree-root-is-symlink
diff --git a/gix-dir/tests/fixtures/many.sh b/gix-dir/tests/fixtures/many.sh
index 54ec1cf8dac..268932ff3cc 100755
--- a/gix-dir/tests/fixtures/many.sh
+++ b/gix-dir/tests/fixtures/many.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -eu -o pipefail
 
-# Nothing here may use symlinks so these fixtures can be used on windows as well.
+# These fixtures don't use symlinks. See `many-symlinks.sh` for some that do.
 
 git init with-nested-dot-git
 (cd with-nested-dot-git
diff --git a/gix-dir/tests/walk/mod.rs b/gix-dir/tests/walk/mod.rs
index 057271e0968..e4d08f7b0cf 100644
--- a/gix-dir/tests/walk/mod.rs
+++ b/gix-dir/tests/walk/mod.rs
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ use gix_dir::walk::ForDeletionMode;
 use gix_ignore::Kind::*;
 
 #[test]
-#[cfg_attr(windows, ignore = "symlinks the way they are organized don't yet work on windows")]
 fn symlink_to_dir_can_be_excluded() -> crate::Result {
     let root = fixture_in("many-symlinks", "excluded-symlinks-to-dir");
     let ((out, _root), entries) = collect(&root, None, |keep, ctx| {
@@ -94,7 +93,6 @@ fn symlink_to_dir_can_be_excluded() -> crate::Result {
 }
 
 #[test]
-#[cfg_attr(windows, ignore = "symlinks the way they are organized don't yet work on windows")]
 fn root_may_not_lead_through_symlinks() -> crate::Result {
     for (name, intermediate, expected) in [
         ("immediate-breakout-symlink", "", 0),
@@ -121,7 +119,6 @@ fn root_may_not_lead_through_symlinks() -> crate::Result {
 }
 
 #[test]
-#[cfg_attr(windows, ignore = "symlinks the way they are organized don't yet work on windows")]
 fn root_may_be_a_symlink_if_it_is_the_worktree() -> crate::Result {
     let root = fixture_in("many-symlinks", "worktree-root-is-symlink");
     let ((_out, _root), entries) = collect(&root, None, |keep, ctx| {
@@ -2702,7 +2699,6 @@ fn decomposed_unicode_in_directory_is_returned_precomposed() -> crate::Result {
 }
 
 #[test]
-#[cfg_attr(windows, ignore = "symlinks the way they are organized don't yet work on windows")]
 fn worktree_root_can_be_symlink() -> crate::Result {
     let root = fixture_in("many-symlinks", "symlink-to-breakout-symlink");
     let troot = root.join("file");
diff --git a/gix-index/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/v2_all_file_kinds.tar b/gix-index/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/v2_all_file_kinds.tar
index ad35bdb4a35..01ceee8b2f6 100644
Binary files a/gix-index/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/v2_all_file_kinds.tar and b/gix-index/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/v2_all_file_kinds.tar differ
diff --git a/gix-index/tests/fixtures/make_index/v2_all_file_kinds.sh b/gix-index/tests/fixtures/make_index/v2_all_file_kinds.sh
index 0dae4a4027c..ebaab2d1e41 100755
--- a/gix-index/tests/fixtures/make_index/v2_all_file_kinds.sh
+++ b/gix-index/tests/fixtures/make_index/v2_all_file_kinds.sh
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -eu -o pipefail
 
-export GIT_INDEX_VERSION=2;
+export GIT_INDEX_VERSION=2
 
 git init -q sub
 (cd sub
-
   touch a b c
   git add .
   git commit -m "init"
@@ -21,6 +20,7 @@ mkdir d
 (cd d && touch a b c)
 
 git add .
+git update-index --chmod=+x b  # For Windows.
 git commit -m "init"
 
 git rev-parse @^{tree} > head.tree
diff --git a/gix-index/tests/fixtures/make_index/v2_deeper_tree.sh b/gix-index/tests/fixtures/make_index/v2_deeper_tree.sh
index 09ba2a53464..a5734ad342d 100755
--- a/gix-index/tests/fixtures/make_index/v2_deeper_tree.sh
+++ b/gix-index/tests/fixtures/make_index/v2_deeper_tree.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -eu -o pipefail
 
-export GIT_INDEX_VERSION=2;
+export GIT_INDEX_VERSION=2
 
 mkdir sub
 (cd sub
@@ -25,4 +25,5 @@ mkdir d
 )
 
 git add .
+git update-index --chmod=+x b  # For Windows.
 git commit -m "init"
diff --git a/gix-merge/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/tree-baseline.tar b/gix-merge/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/tree-baseline.tar
index 4b74b96874d..bd50e785648 100644
Binary files a/gix-merge/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/tree-baseline.tar and b/gix-merge/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/tree-baseline.tar differ
diff --git a/gix-merge/tests/fixtures/tree-baseline.sh b/gix-merge/tests/fixtures/tree-baseline.sh
index 928a52abea5..69b103ae986 100644
--- a/gix-merge/tests/fixtures/tree-baseline.sh
+++ b/gix-merge/tests/fixtures/tree-baseline.sh
@@ -475,8 +475,8 @@ git init same-rename-different-mode
 
   git checkout A
   write_lines 1 2 3 4 5 >a/x.f
-  chmod +x a/x.f
-  chmod +x a/w
+  chmod +x a/x.f a/w
+  git update-index --chmod=+x a/x.f a/w
   git mv a a-renamed
   git commit -am "changed all content, add +x, renamed a -> a-renamed"
 
@@ -486,8 +486,8 @@ git init same-rename-different-mode
   git commit -am "changed all content, renamed a -> a-renamed"
 
   git checkout expected
-  chmod +x a/x.f
-  chmod +x a/w
+  chmod +x a/x.f a/w
+  git update-index --chmod=+x a/x.f a/w
   write_lines 1 2 3 4 5 6 >a/x.f
   git mv a a-renamed
   git commit -am "Git, when branches are reversed, doesn't keep the +x flag on a/w so we specify our own expectation"
@@ -530,13 +530,13 @@ git init added-file-changed-content-and-mode
   git checkout B
   write_lines original 1 2 3 4 5 6 >new
   chmod +x new
-  git add .
+  git add --chmod=+x new
   git commit -m "add new with content B and +x"
 
   git checkout expected
   echo -n $'<<<<<<< A\n1\n2\n3\n4\n5\n=======\noriginal\n1\n2\n3\n4\n5\n6\n>>>>>>> B\n' >new
   chmod +x new
-  git add new
+  git add --chmod=+x new
   git commit -m "Git has a better merge here, but that's due to better hunk handling/hunk splitting. We, however, consistently use +x"
 )
 
diff --git a/gix-status/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/status_many.tar b/gix-status/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/status_many.tar
index 91dd6a9110f..8e656859d8e 100644
Binary files a/gix-status/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/status_many.tar and b/gix-status/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/status_many.tar differ
diff --git a/gix-status/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/status_removed.tar b/gix-status/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/status_removed.tar
index 1828e56b980..ec26788a7dc 100644
Binary files a/gix-status/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/status_removed.tar and b/gix-status/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/status_removed.tar differ
diff --git a/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_changed.sh b/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_changed.sh
index 06ff09ebf3f..18be3d1d8ae 100755
--- a/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_changed.sh
+++ b/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_changed.sh
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ mkdir dir/sub-dir
 (cd dir/sub-dir && ln -sf ../content symlink)
 
 git add -A
+git update-index --chmod=+x executable  # For Windows.
 git commit -m "Commit"
 
 chmod +x dir/content
@@ -23,4 +24,4 @@ echo -n "foo" > executable
 
 rm empty
 ln -sf dir/content empty
-git reset 
\ No newline at end of file
+git reset
diff --git a/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_many.sh b/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_many.sh
index a3d05017d3e..9a11f3f4f8d 100755
--- a/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_many.sh
+++ b/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_many.sh
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ git init -q changed-and-untracked
   echo "different content" > dir/content2
 
   git add -A
+  git update-index --chmod=+x executable  # For Windows.
   git commit -m "Commit"
   echo "change" >> executable
 
diff --git a/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_removed.sh b/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_removed.sh
index d6a06ec651b..c8249e10c89 100755
--- a/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_removed.sh
+++ b/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_removed.sh
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ mkdir dir/sub-dir
 (cd dir/sub-dir && ln -sf ../content symlink)
 
 git add -A
+git update-index --chmod=+x executable  # For Windows.
 git commit -m "Commit"
 rm -rf ./empty ./executable ./dir/content ./dir/sub-dir/symlink
-git reset 
\ No newline at end of file
+git reset
diff --git a/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_unchanged.sh b/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_unchanged.sh
index 14caa054cd9..a2beaa7e313 100755
--- a/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_unchanged.sh
+++ b/gix-status/tests/fixtures/status_unchanged.sh
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@ mkdir dir/sub-dir
 (cd dir/sub-dir && ln -sf ../content symlink)
 
 git add -A
+git update-index --chmod=+x executable  # For Windows.
 git commit -m "Commit"
 
 touch ./empty ./executable ./dir/content ./dir/sub-dir/symlink
 
-git reset # ensure index timestamp is large enough to not mark everything racy
\ No newline at end of file
+git reset # ensure index timestamp is large enough to not mark everything racy
diff --git a/gix-worktree-state/tests/fixtures/make_mixed.sh b/gix-worktree-state/tests/fixtures/make_mixed.sh
index 8e23ccbfc30..47b112c07e4 100755
--- a/gix-worktree-state/tests/fixtures/make_mixed.sh
+++ b/gix-worktree-state/tests/fixtures/make_mixed.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ mkdir dir/sub-dir
 (cd dir/sub-dir && ln -sf ../content symlink)
 
 git add -A
+git update-index --chmod=+x executable  # For Windows.
 git commit -m "Commit"
 
 git init module1
diff --git a/gix-worktree-state/tests/fixtures/make_mixed_without_submodules.sh b/gix-worktree-state/tests/fixtures/make_mixed_without_submodules.sh
index 78d36a2f2d0..ace64b1cdde 100755
--- a/gix-worktree-state/tests/fixtures/make_mixed_without_submodules.sh
+++ b/gix-worktree-state/tests/fixtures/make_mixed_without_submodules.sh
@@ -17,4 +17,5 @@ mkdir dir/sub-dir
 (cd dir/sub-dir && ln -sf ../content symlink)
 
 git add -A
+git update-index --chmod=+x executable  # For Windows.
 git commit -m "Commit"
diff --git a/gix-worktree-state/tests/fixtures/make_mixed_without_submodules_and_symlinks.sh b/gix-worktree-state/tests/fixtures/make_mixed_without_submodules_and_symlinks.sh
index 77c3aea2362..cbaf0047d84 100755
--- a/gix-worktree-state/tests/fixtures/make_mixed_without_submodules_and_symlinks.sh
+++ b/gix-worktree-state/tests/fixtures/make_mixed_without_submodules_and_symlinks.sh
@@ -17,4 +17,5 @@ mkdir dir/sub-dir
 echo "even other content" > dir/sub-dir/file
 
 git add -A
+git update-index --chmod=+x executable  # For Windows.
 git commit -m "Commit"
diff --git a/gix-worktree-state/tests/state/checkout.rs b/gix-worktree-state/tests/state/checkout.rs
index 752277a48b7..c496d04688b 100644
--- a/gix-worktree-state/tests/state/checkout.rs
+++ b/gix-worktree-state/tests/state/checkout.rs
@@ -173,20 +173,13 @@ fn delayed_driver_process() -> crate::Result {
 }
 
 #[test]
-#[cfg_attr(
-    windows,
-    ignore = "on windows, the symlink to a directory doesn't seem to work and we really want to test with symlinks"
-)]
 fn overwriting_files_and_lone_directories_works() -> crate::Result {
     for delay in [
         gix_filter::driver::apply::Delay::Allow,
         gix_filter::driver::apply::Delay::Forbid,
     ] {
         let mut opts = opts_from_probe();
-        assert!(
-            opts.fs.symlink,
-            "BUG: the probe must detect to be able to generate symlinks"
-        );
+        assert!(opts.fs.symlink, "The probe must detect to be able to generate symlinks");
         opts.overwrite_existing = true;
         opts.filter_process_delay = delay;
         opts.destination_is_initially_empty = false;
@@ -244,8 +237,7 @@ fn overwriting_files_and_lone_directories_works() -> crate::Result {
         );
 
         let symlink = destination.path().join("dir/sub-dir/symlink");
-        // on windows, git won't create symlinks as its probe won't detect the capability, even though we do.
-        assert_eq!(std::fs::symlink_metadata(&symlink)?.is_symlink(), cfg!(unix));
+        assert!(std::fs::symlink_metadata(&symlink)?.is_symlink());
         assert_eq!(
             std::fs::read(symlink)?.as_bstr(),
             "➡other content\r\n",
@@ -270,10 +262,7 @@ fn symlinks_become_files_if_disabled() -> crate::Result {
 #[test]
 fn symlinks_to_directories_are_usable() -> crate::Result {
     let opts = opts_from_probe();
-    if !opts.fs.symlink {
-        eprintln!("Skipping directory symlink test on filesystem that doesn't support it");
-        return Ok(());
-    }
+    assert!(opts.fs.symlink, "The probe must detect to be able to generate symlinks");
 
     let (_source_tree, destination, _index, outcome) =
         checkout_index_in_tmp_dir(opts.clone(), "make_dir_symlink", None)?;
@@ -298,10 +287,7 @@ fn symlinks_to_directories_are_usable() -> crate::Result {
 #[test]
 fn dangling_symlinks_can_be_created() -> crate::Result {
     let opts = opts_from_probe();
-    if !opts.fs.symlink {
-        eprintln!("Skipping dangling symlink test on filesystem that doesn't support it");
-        return Ok(());
-    }
+    assert!(opts.fs.symlink, "The probe must detect to be able to generate symlinks");
 
     for (fixture, symlink_name, target_name) in [
         ("make_dangling_symlink", "dangling", "non-existing-target"),
diff --git a/gix-worktree-stream/tests/fixtures/basic.sh b/gix-worktree-stream/tests/fixtures/basic.sh
index 1a29eb68a8b..55015a7b2d8 100755
--- a/gix-worktree-stream/tests/fixtures/basic.sh
+++ b/gix-worktree-stream/tests/fixtures/basic.sh
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ echo "/file-ignored export-ignore" >> .gitattributes
 dd if=/dev/zero of=bigfile bs=1024 count=156
 
 git add .
+git update-index --chmod=+x dir/subdir/exe
 git commit -m "init"
 
 echo "extra" > extra-file
@@ -32,4 +33,3 @@ ln -s ../extra-file extra-dir/symlink-to-extra
 dd if=/dev/zero of=extra-bigfile bs=1024 count=156
 
 git rev-parse @^{tree} > head.hex
-
diff --git a/gix-worktree-stream/tests/stream.rs b/gix-worktree-stream/tests/stream.rs
index a34e640a1a2..f66e24698f2 100644
--- a/gix-worktree-stream/tests/stream.rs
+++ b/gix-worktree-stream/tests/stream.rs
@@ -110,12 +110,6 @@ mod from_tree {
             }
         }
 
-        let expected_exe_mode = if cfg!(windows) {
-            EntryKind::Blob
-        } else {
-            EntryKind::BlobExecutable
-        };
-        let expected_link_mode = EntryKind::Link;
         assert_eq!(
             paths_and_modes,
             &[
@@ -136,7 +130,7 @@ mod from_tree {
                 ),
                 (
                     "symlink-to-a".into(),
-                    expected_link_mode,
+                    EntryKind::Link,
                     hex_to_id("2e65efe2a145dda7ee51d1741299f848e5bf752e")
                 ),
                 (
@@ -151,7 +145,7 @@ mod from_tree {
                 ),
                 (
                     "dir/subdir/exe".into(),
-                    expected_exe_mode,
+                    EntryKind::BlobExecutable,
                     hex_to_id("e69de29bb2d1d6434b8b29ae775ad8c2e48c5391")
                 ),
                 (
@@ -171,7 +165,11 @@ mod from_tree {
                 ),
                 (
                     "extra-exe".into(),
-                    expected_exe_mode,
+                    if cfg!(windows) {
+                        EntryKind::Blob
+                    } else {
+                        EntryKind::BlobExecutable
+                    },
                     hex_to_id("0000000000000000000000000000000000000000")
                 ),
                 (
@@ -181,7 +179,7 @@ mod from_tree {
                 ),
                 (
                     "extra-dir/symlink-to-extra".into(),
-                    expected_link_mode,
+                    EntryKind::Link,
                     hex_to_id("0000000000000000000000000000000000000000")
                 )
             ]
diff --git a/gix/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/make_rev_spec_parse_repos.tar b/gix/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/make_rev_spec_parse_repos.tar
index d6c7fa19114..538e9943fc5 100644
Binary files a/gix/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/make_rev_spec_parse_repos.tar and b/gix/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/make_rev_spec_parse_repos.tar differ
diff --git a/gix/tests/fixtures/make_rev_spec_parse_repos.sh b/gix/tests/fixtures/make_rev_spec_parse_repos.sh
index baa2d924df9..887f0f1d7ab 100755
--- a/gix/tests/fixtures/make_rev_spec_parse_repos.sh
+++ b/gix/tests/fixtures/make_rev_spec_parse_repos.sh
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ git init --bare blob.corrupt
   echo bnkxmdwz | git hash-object -w --stdin
   oid=$(echo bmwsjxzi | git hash-object -w --stdin)
   oidf=objects/$(oid_to_path "$oid")
-  chmod 755 $oidf
-  echo broken >$oidf
+  chmod -- 644 "$oidf"
+  echo broken >"$oidf"
 
   baseline "cafea"
   baseline "cafea^{object}"
@@ -424,4 +424,4 @@ git init invalid-head
   rm .git/refs/heads/main
   baseline 'HEAD'
   baseline 'HEAD:file'
-)
\ No newline at end of file
+)