diff --git a/.github/workflows/iwyu.yml b/.github/workflows/iwyu.yml
index 76727db68fb..d01a7000e03 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/iwyu.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/iwyu.yml
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Prepare CMake
         run: |
+          # TODO: why does it build dmake in the next step?
           cmake -S . -B cmake.output -G "Unix Makefiles" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DHAVE_RULES=On -DBUILD_TESTS=On -DBUILD_GUI=On -DUSE_QT6=On -DWITH_QCHART=On -DENABLE_CHECK_INTERNAL=On -DCMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTOGEN_TARGET=On -DCMAKE_DISABLE_PRECOMPILE_HEADERS=On -DCPPCHK_GLIBCXX_DEBUG=Off -DUSE_MATCHCOMPILER=Off -DEXTERNALS_AS_SYSTEM=On -DUSE_LIBCXX=${{ matrix.use_libcxx }}
         env:
           CC: clang
@@ -188,6 +189,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Prepare CMake
         run: |
+          # TODO: why does it build dmake in the next step?
           cmake -S . -B cmake.output -G "Unix Makefiles" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DHAVE_RULES=On -DBUILD_TESTS=On -DBUILD_GUI=On -DUSE_QT6=On -DWITH_QCHART=On -DENABLE_CHECK_INTERNAL=On -DCMAKE_GLOBAL_AUTOGEN_TARGET=On -DCMAKE_DISABLE_PRECOMPILE_HEADERS=On -DCPPCHK_GLIBCXX_DEBUG=Off -DUSE_MATCHCOMPILER=Off -DEXTERNALS_AS_SYSTEM=On -DUSE_LIBCXX=${{ matrix.use_libcxx }}
         env:
           CC: clang-19
diff --git a/cppcheck.sln b/cppcheck.sln
index 8ea1af26aa8..ca26e06f2bd 100644
--- a/cppcheck.sln
+++ b/cppcheck.sln
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 
 Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
-# Visual Studio Version 16
-VisualStudioVersion = 16.0.29020.237
+# Visual Studio Version 17
+VisualStudioVersion = 17.12.35506.116 d17.12
 MinimumVisualStudioVersion = 10.0.40219.1
 Project("{8BC9CEB8-8B4A-11D0-8D11-00A0C91BC942}") = "cli", "cli\cli.vcxproj", "{35CBDF51-2456-3EC3-99ED-113C30858883}"
 	ProjectSection(ProjectDependencies) = postProject
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ Project("{8BC9CEB8-8B4A-11D0-8D11-00A0C91BC942}") = "testrunner", "test\testrunn
 EndProject
 Project("{8BC9CEB8-8B4A-11D0-8D11-00A0C91BC942}") = "cppcheck", "lib\cppcheck.vcxproj", "{C183DB5B-AD6C-423D-80CA-1F9549555A1A}"
 EndProject
-Project("{8BC9CEB8-8B4A-11D0-8D11-00A0C91BC942}") = "dmake", "tools\dmake\dmake.vcxproj", "{19EC86CD-0004-4917-B852-E6BD110B6E6F}"
-EndProject
 Global
 	GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
 		Debug|x64 = Debug|x64
@@ -49,10 +47,6 @@ Global
 		{C183DB5B-AD6C-423D-80CA-1F9549555A1A}.Release|x64.Build.0 = Release|x64
 		{C183DB5B-AD6C-423D-80CA-1F9549555A1A}.Release-PCRE|x64.ActiveCfg = Release-PCRE|x64
 		{C183DB5B-AD6C-423D-80CA-1F9549555A1A}.Release-PCRE|x64.Build.0 = Release-PCRE|x64
-		{19EC86CD-0004-4917-B852-E6BD110B6E6F}.Debug|x64.ActiveCfg = Debug|x64
-		{19EC86CD-0004-4917-B852-E6BD110B6E6F}.Debug-PCRE|x64.ActiveCfg = Debug|x64
-		{19EC86CD-0004-4917-B852-E6BD110B6E6F}.Release|x64.ActiveCfg = Release|x64
-		{19EC86CD-0004-4917-B852-E6BD110B6E6F}.Release-PCRE|x64.ActiveCfg = Release|x64
 	EndGlobalSection
 	GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution
 		HideSolutionNode = FALSE
diff --git a/tools/dmake/CMakeLists.txt b/tools/dmake/CMakeLists.txt
index 4f9ea9d7007..5af693eb179 100644
--- a/tools/dmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tools/dmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # TODO: when using ccache and matchcompiler this will accessed before the file was generated and thus the build fails
-set(srcs_lib pathmatch.cpp path.cpp)
+set(srcs_lib pathmatch.cpp path.cpp utils.cpp)
 foreach(file ${srcs_lib})
     if (NOT USE_MATCHCOMPILER_OPT STREQUAL "Off")
         set(src "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib/build/mc_${file}")
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ add_executable(dmake EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL
         dmake.cpp
         ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cli/filelister.cpp
         ${srcs_tools}
-        ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/utils.cpp
         $<TARGET_OBJECTS:simplecpp_objs>
 )
 target_include_directories(dmake PRIVATE ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cli ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/lib)
diff --git a/tools/dmake/dmake.vcxproj b/tools/dmake/dmake.vcxproj
deleted file mode 100644
index b582ba44121..00000000000
--- a/tools/dmake/dmake.vcxproj
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,113 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
-<Project DefaultTargets="Build" ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
-  <ItemGroup Label="ProjectConfigurations">
-    <ProjectConfiguration Include="Debug|x64">
-      <Configuration>Debug</Configuration>
-      <Platform>x64</Platform>
-    </ProjectConfiguration>
-    <ProjectConfiguration Include="Release|x64">
-      <Configuration>Release</Configuration>
-      <Platform>x64</Platform>
-    </ProjectConfiguration>
-  </ItemGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Label="Globals">
-    <ProjectGuid>{19EC86CD-0004-4917-B852-E6BD110B6E6F}</ProjectGuid>
-    <RootNamespace>dmake</RootNamespace>
-    <WindowsTargetPlatformVersion>10.0</WindowsTargetPlatformVersion>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.Default.props" />
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'" Label="Configuration">
-    <ConfigurationType>Application</ConfigurationType>
-    <PlatformToolset>v142</PlatformToolset>
-    <CharacterSet>NotSet</CharacterSet>
-    <WholeProgramOptimization>true</WholeProgramOptimization>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'" Label="Configuration">
-    <ConfigurationType>Application</ConfigurationType>
-    <PlatformToolset>v142</PlatformToolset>
-    <CharacterSet>NotSet</CharacterSet>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.props" />
-  <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionSettings">
-  </ImportGroup>
-  <ImportGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'" Label="PropertySheets">
-    <Import Project="$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props" Condition="exists('$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props')" Label="LocalAppDataPlatform" />
-  </ImportGroup>
-  <ImportGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'" Label="PropertySheets">
-    <Import Project="$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props" Condition="exists('$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props')" Label="LocalAppDataPlatform" />
-  </ImportGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Label="UserMacros" />
-  <PropertyGroup>
-    <_ProjectFileVersion>11.0.61030.0</_ProjectFileVersion>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">
-    <OutDir>..\Build\$(Configuration)\</OutDir>
-    <IntDir>..\BuildTmp\$(TargetName)\$(Configuration)\</IntDir>
-    <IgnoreImportLibrary>true</IgnoreImportLibrary>
-    <LinkIncremental />
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">
-    <OutDir>..\Build\$(Configuration)\</OutDir>
-    <IntDir>..\BuildTmp\$(TargetName)\$(Configuration)\</IntDir>
-    <LinkIncremental>false</LinkIncremental>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">
-    <ClCompile>
-      <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib;..\externals\simplecpp;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32;_DEBUG;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
-      <MinimalRebuild>true</MinimalRebuild>
-      <BasicRuntimeChecks>Default</BasicRuntimeChecks>
-      <RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreadedDebugDLL</RuntimeLibrary>
-      <BufferSecurityCheck>false</BufferSecurityCheck>
-      <PrecompiledHeader />
-      <AssemblerListingLocation>$(IntDir)</AssemblerListingLocation>
-      <WarningLevel>Level4</WarningLevel>
-      <DebugInformationFormat>ProgramDatabase</DebugInformationFormat>
-    </ClCompile>
-    <Link>
-      <AdditionalDependencies>shlwapi.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
-      <OutputFile>$(OutDir)dmake.exe</OutputFile>
-      <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
-      <SubSystem>Console</SubSystem>
-    </Link>
-  </ItemDefinitionGroup>
-  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">
-    <ClCompile>
-      <Optimization>MaxSpeed</Optimization>
-      <IntrinsicFunctions>true</IntrinsicFunctions>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib;..\externals\simplecpp;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32;NDEBUG;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
-      <RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreadedDLL</RuntimeLibrary>
-      <FunctionLevelLinking>true</FunctionLevelLinking>
-      <PrecompiledHeader />
-      <AssemblerListingLocation>$(IntDir)</AssemblerListingLocation>
-      <WarningLevel>Level4</WarningLevel>
-      <DebugInformationFormat>ProgramDatabase</DebugInformationFormat>
-    </ClCompile>
-    <Link>
-      <AdditionalDependencies>shlwapi.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
-      <OutputFile>$(OutDir)dmake.exe</OutputFile>
-      <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
-      <SubSystem>Console</SubSystem>
-      <OptimizeReferences>true</OptimizeReferences>
-      <EnableCOMDATFolding>true</EnableCOMDATFolding>
-    </Link>
-  </ItemDefinitionGroup>
-  <ItemGroup>
-    <ClCompile Include="..\externals\simplecpp\simplecpp.cpp" />
-    <ClCompile Include="..\lib\pathmatch.cpp" />
-    <ClCompile Include="..\lib\utils.cpp" />
-    <ClCompile Include="dmake.cpp" />
-    <ClCompile Include="..\cli\filelister.cpp" />
-    <ClCompile Include="..\lib\path.cpp" />
-  </ItemGroup>
-  <ItemGroup>
-    <ClInclude Include="..\cli\filelister.h" />
-    <ClInclude Include="..\lib\path.h" />
-    <ClInclude Include="..\lib\utils.h" />
-  </ItemGroup>
-  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />
-  <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionTargets">
-  </ImportGroup>
-</Project>
\ No newline at end of file