diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/Parameters.cpp b/PowerEditor/src/Parameters.cpp
index bad63107..9804b87e 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/Parameters.cpp
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/Parameters.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
 #include "localizationString.h"
 #include "UserDefineDialog.h"
 
+#pragma warning(disable : 4996) // for GetVersionEx()
+
 using namespace std;
 
 
@@ -1680,11 +1682,11 @@ bool NppParameters::getUserParametersFromXmlTree()
 std::pair<unsigned char, unsigned char> NppParameters::addUserDefineLangsFromXmlTree(TiXmlDocument *tixmldoc)
 {
 	if (!tixmldoc)
-		return std::pair<unsigned char, unsigned char>(0, 0);
+		return std::make_pair(static_cast<unsigned char>(0), static_cast<unsigned char>(0));
 
 	TiXmlNode *root = tixmldoc->FirstChild(TEXT("NotepadPlus"));
 	if (!root)
-		return std::pair<unsigned char, unsigned char>(0, 0);
+		return std::make_pair(static_cast<unsigned char>(0), static_cast<unsigned char>(0));
 
 	return feedUserLang(root);
 }
@@ -2667,7 +2669,7 @@ std::pair<unsigned char, unsigned char> NppParameters::feedUserLang(TiXmlNode *n
 		}
 	}
 	int iEnd = _nbUserLang;
-	return pair<unsigned char, unsigned char>(iBegin, iEnd);
+	return pair<unsigned char, unsigned char>(static_cast<unsigned char>(iBegin), static_cast<unsigned char>(iEnd));
 }
 
 bool NppParameters::importUDLFromFile(const generic_string& sourceFile)
diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/WinControls/AboutDlg/AboutDlg.cpp b/PowerEditor/src/WinControls/AboutDlg/AboutDlg.cpp
index 11f362d7..872294fe 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/WinControls/AboutDlg/AboutDlg.cpp
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/WinControls/AboutDlg/AboutDlg.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@
 #include "Parameters.h"
 #include "localization.h"
 
+#pragma warning(disable : 4996) // for GetVersion()
+
 INT_PTR CALLBACK AboutDlg::run_dlgProc(UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
 {
 	switch (message)
diff --git a/PowerEditor/visual.net/notepadPlus.vcxproj b/PowerEditor/visual.net/notepadPlus.vcxproj
index 13f8b663..0042313f 100755
--- a/PowerEditor/visual.net/notepadPlus.vcxproj
+++ b/PowerEditor/visual.net/notepadPlus.vcxproj
@@ -23,28 +23,29 @@
     <ProjectGuid>{FCF60E65-1B78-4D1D-AB59-4FC00AC8C248}</ProjectGuid>
     <RootNamespace>Notepad++</RootNamespace>
     <Keyword>Win32Proj</Keyword>
+    <WindowsTargetPlatformVersion>8.1</WindowsTargetPlatformVersion>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.Default.props" />
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Unicode Release|Win32'" Label="Configuration">
     <ConfigurationType>Application</ConfigurationType>
-    <PlatformToolset>v140_xp</PlatformToolset>
+    <PlatformToolset>v141</PlatformToolset>
     <CharacterSet>Unicode</CharacterSet>
     <WholeProgramOptimization>true</WholeProgramOptimization>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Unicode Release|x64'" Label="Configuration">
     <ConfigurationType>Application</ConfigurationType>
-    <PlatformToolset>v140_xp</PlatformToolset>
+    <PlatformToolset>v141</PlatformToolset>
     <CharacterSet>Unicode</CharacterSet>
     <WholeProgramOptimization>true</WholeProgramOptimization>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Unicode Debug|Win32'" Label="Configuration">
     <ConfigurationType>Application</ConfigurationType>
-    <PlatformToolset>v140_xp</PlatformToolset>
+    <PlatformToolset>v141</PlatformToolset>
     <CharacterSet>Unicode</CharacterSet>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Unicode Debug|x64'" Label="Configuration">
     <ConfigurationType>Application</ConfigurationType>
-    <PlatformToolset>v140_xp</PlatformToolset>
+    <PlatformToolset>v141</PlatformToolset>
     <CharacterSet>Unicode</CharacterSet>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.props" />
@@ -106,6 +107,7 @@
       <SmallerTypeCheck>false</SmallerTypeCheck>
       <DisableSpecificWarnings>4091;4456;4457;4459</DisableSpecificWarnings>
       <AdditionalOptions>/Zc:strictStrings %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <ConformanceMode>false</ConformanceMode>
     </ClCompile>
     <Link>
       <AdditionalOptions>/fixed:no %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
@@ -143,6 +145,7 @@
       <SmallerTypeCheck>false</SmallerTypeCheck>
       <DisableSpecificWarnings>4091;4456;4457;4459</DisableSpecificWarnings>
       <AdditionalOptions>/Zc:strictStrings %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <ConformanceMode>false</ConformanceMode>
     </ClCompile>
     <Link>
       <AdditionalOptions>/fixed:no %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
@@ -186,6 +189,7 @@
       <MultiProcessorCompilation>true</MultiProcessorCompilation>
       <DisableSpecificWarnings>4091;4456;4457;4459</DisableSpecificWarnings>
       <AdditionalOptions>/Zc:strictStrings %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <ConformanceMode>false</ConformanceMode>
     </ClCompile>
     <Link>
       <AdditionalDependencies>comctl32.lib;shlwapi.lib;shell32.lib;Oleacc.lib;Dbghelp.lib;Version.lib;Crypt32.lib;wintrust.lib;Sensapi.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
@@ -237,6 +241,7 @@ copy ..\src\contextMenu.xml ..\bin\contextMenu.xml
       <MultiProcessorCompilation>true</MultiProcessorCompilation>
       <DisableSpecificWarnings>4091;4456;4457;4459</DisableSpecificWarnings>
       <AdditionalOptions>/Zc:strictStrings %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
+      <ConformanceMode>false</ConformanceMode>
     </ClCompile>
     <Link>
       <AdditionalDependencies>comctl32.lib;shlwapi.lib;shell32.lib;Oleacc.lib;Dbghelp.lib;Version.lib;Crypt32.lib;wintrust.lib;Sensapi.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>