I have created a new windows installation system. I would like to ask any users of version 8.6 on Windows to give it a try and report back as to if it works for you or not. If it fails, please try to report why, along with a fix if you can fix it.
In the download directory for version 8.6, I have put a zip file winbuild.zip.
1) Download and unzip to create a folder called winbuild.
2) Move the winbuild folder into the top level FEAP folder (for version 8.6). The content of winbuild will be a visual studio solution file ver86.sln and two folders winlib and winexe, each containing a visual studio project file, feap-v86lib.vfproj and feap-v86exe.vfproj, respectively. Make sure that there is not a winbuild folder inside your winbuild folder (an annoying windows default with some versions of unzip).
3) Open the solution file ver86.sln. Wait while it scans the files in the solution.
4) Click build solution.
If all goes well, you should, without having to make any other adjustments, have an library file in the folder winlib/x64/Release and an executable in the folder winexe/x64/Release.
If this works for enough people, we will start to distribute this with the code. With this system, you no longer need to run the win2comp.bat, or to manually add files to visual studio etc.
The thing that I do not know is if this will work for the variety of compiler versions and visual studio version that are out there.