diff --git a/codegen/mabl2cpp/src/main/resources/org/intocps/maestro/codegen/mabl2cpp/CMakeLists.txt b/codegen/mabl2cpp/src/main/resources/org/intocps/maestro/codegen/mabl2cpp/CMakeLists.txt
index 819c595c..0d8ecc7d 100644
--- a/codegen/mabl2cpp/src/main/resources/org/intocps/maestro/codegen/mabl2cpp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/codegen/mabl2cpp/src/main/resources/org/intocps/maestro/codegen/mabl2cpp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ FetchContent_Declare(intocpsfmi
  SOURCE_DIR "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/intocpsfmi-src"
 )
 
-FetchContent_Populate(intocpsfmi)
+FetchContent_MakeAvailable(intocpsfmi)
 set(intocpsfmi-src "intocpsfmi-src")
 
 
@@ -27,9 +27,8 @@ SET(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS OFF CACHE BOOL "Build shared libraries")
 
 FetchContent_Declare(libzip
         GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/nih-at/libzip.git
-        GIT_TAG  v1.10.1
+        GIT_TAG  v1.11
         GIT_SHALLOW ON
-
         SOURCE_DIR "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/libzip"
 )
 
@@ -51,7 +50,7 @@ SET(RAPIDJSON_BUILD_EXAMPLES OFF CACHE BOOL "Build rapidjson examples" FORCE)
 SET(RAPIDJSON_BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE BOOL "Build rapidjson perftests and unittests" FORCE)
 FetchContent_Declare(rapidjson
         GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/Tencent/rapidjson.git
-        GIT_TAG v1.1.0
+        GIT_TAG 7c73dd7de7c4f14379b781418c6e947ad464c818 # this hash seems to make it work on windows (nix works with v1.1.0)
      #   GIT_SHALLOW ON
         SOURCE_DIR "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/rapidjson"
         BUILD_COMMAND ""
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ FetchContent_Declare(rapidjson
         TEST_COMMAND ""
         )
 
-FetchContent_Populate(rapidjson)
+FetchContent_MakeAvailable(rapidjson)
 
 #file(CHMOD_RECURSE "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/rapidjson" PERMISSIONS OWNER_READ OWNER_WRITE  GROUP_READ GROUP_WRITE WORLD_READ WORLD_WRITE )
 
diff --git a/codegen/mabl2cpp/src/main/resources/org/intocps/maestro/codegen/mabl2cpp/readme.md b/codegen/mabl2cpp/src/main/resources/org/intocps/maestro/codegen/mabl2cpp/readme.md
index 6a7bc81e..86951a24 100644
--- a/codegen/mabl2cpp/src/main/resources/org/intocps/maestro/codegen/mabl2cpp/readme.md
+++ b/codegen/mabl2cpp/src/main/resources/org/intocps/maestro/codegen/mabl2cpp/readme.md
@@ -9,18 +9,38 @@ make
 
 Install i.e.:
 
-1. msys with mingw64 (https://www.msys2.org/)
+1. msys2 with mingw64 (https://www.msys2.org/)
 2. Follow the guide at https://www.msys2.org/
-3. Add C:\msys64\mingw64\bin
-4. Add C:\msys64\usr\bin
-5. Run pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-cmake in the MSYS terminal Make sure to use the mingw64 terminal
+   Note that `c:\msys64\msys2.exe` is the prompt used to install with pacman 
+   The prompt at `c:\msys64\mingw64.exe` is what should be used for compilation
+3. in `c:\msys64\msys2.exe` install the following:
+  ```bash
+pacman -Syu
+pacman -Su
+pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-toolchain
+pacman -S base-devel
+pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-cmake mingw-w64-x86_64-make
+  ```
+4. in `c:\msys64\mingw64.exe` run
+```bash
+cd $USERPROFILE/Downloads/my_project #assuming its in our download folder
+ls # to check that CMakeLists.txt is in the current folder
+cmake . # to generate the project
+ninja  # to build
+./sim.exe # run the program
+```
+
+If the application should be used in another shell then the mingw libraries needs to be available in the `PATH` so 
+1. Add C:\msys64\mingw64\bin
+2. Add C:\msys64\usr\bin
 
-Use the cmake profile `-G"MSYS Makefiles"`
+Alternatively `make` can also be used instead of `ninja`  
+* then Run cmake with cmake profile `-G"MSYS Makefiles"` and use `make` to build
 
 To check what libraries needs to be in the path in case the program must be launched from elsewhere:
 
 ~~~bash
-objdump -p sim-dse/cpp/program/sim.exe | grep "DLL Name:"
+objdump -p sim.exe | grep "DLL Name:"
 ~~~
 
 ## Linux (ubuntu)
diff --git a/maestro/src/test/java/org/intocps/maestro/FullSpecCppTest.java b/maestro/src/test/java/org/intocps/maestro/FullSpecCppTest.java
index bad3c3fd..c3515da9 100644
--- a/maestro/src/test/java/org/intocps/maestro/FullSpecCppTest.java
+++ b/maestro/src/test/java/org/intocps/maestro/FullSpecCppTest.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 import java.util.zip.ZipEntry;
 import java.util.zip.ZipFile;
 
-@DisabledOnOs(OS.WINDOWS)
+
 public class FullSpecCppTest extends FullSpecTest {
     public static final List<String> CACHE_FOLDERS = Arrays.asList("libzip", "rapidjson", "intocpsfmi-src");
     static final File baseProjectPath = Paths.get("target", FullSpecCppTest.class.getSimpleName(), "_base").toFile().getAbsoluteFile();