diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 95445ade..91b387d5 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -54,10 +54,14 @@ OPTION( EXIV2_ENABLE_BUILD_SAMPLES "Build the unit tests"
 OPTION( EXIV2_ENABLE_BUILD_PO      "Build translations files"                              OFF )
 OPTION( EXIV2_ENABLE_VIDEO         "Build video support into library"                      OFF )
 OPTION( EXIV2_ENABLE_WEBREADY      "Build webready support into library"                   OFF )
-OPTION( EXIV2_ENABLE_CURL          "USE Libcurl for HttpIo"                                OFF )
-OPTION( EXIV2_ENABLE_SSH           "USE Libssh for SshIo"                                  OFF )
 IF (WIN32)
     OPTION( EXIV2_ENABLE_WIN_UNICODE   "Use Unicode paths (wstring) on Windows"            OFF )
+    OPTION( EXIV2_ENABLE_CURL          "USE Libcurl for HttpIo"                            OFF )
+    OPTION( EXIV2_ENABLE_SSH           "USE Libssh for SshIo"                              OFF )
+ELSE()
+    OPTION( EXIV2_ENABLE_CURL          "USE Libcurl for HttpIo"                            ON  )
+    OPTION( EXIV2_ENABLE_SSH           "USE Libssh for SshIo"                              ON  )
+
 ENDIF()
 
 # set include path for FindXXX.cmake files
@@ -100,50 +104,26 @@ if( MSVC )
 
     ADD_DEFINITIONS(-DPSAPI_VERSION=1) # to be compatible with <= WinVista (#905)
 
-    set(E expat)
-    set(Z zlib)
-    set(C curl)
-    set(S libssh)
-
-    # link dependent libraries
-    FIND_PACKAGE(EXPAT QUIET)
-    if ( EXPAT_FOUND )
-    	include_directories( ${EXPAT_INCLUDE_DIR} )
-    endif()
-    
-    FIND_PACKAGE(CURL QUIET)
-    if ( CURL_FOUND )
-        include_directories( ${CURL_INCLUDE_DIR})
-    endif()
-
-    FIND_PACKAGE(ZLIB QUIET)
-    include_directories(${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR})
-
-    if ( EXIV2_ENABLE_SHARED )
-        add_library(${E} SHARED IMPORTED)
-        add_library(${Z} SHARED IMPORTED)
-    endif()
-
     ##
     # Set the output directory
     # x64/Win32
-    if( CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P MATCHES 8 )
-        SET( P_DIR x64)
-    else()
-        set( P_DIR Win32 )
-    endif()
+    #if( CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P MATCHES 8 )
+    #    SET( P_DIR x64)
+    #else()
+    #    set( P_DIR Win32 )
+    #endif()
 
     # DLL/static build
-    if( EXIV2_ENABLE_SHARED )
-        set( T_DIR Dynamic )
-    else()
-        set( T_DIR Static)
-    endif()
-
-    set(B_DIR ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/bin/${P_DIR}/${T_DIR})
-    set(CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR ${B_DIR})
-    set(EXECUTABLE_OUTPUT_PATH   ${B_DIR})
-    set(LIBRARY_OUTPUT_PATH      ${B_DIR})
+    #if( EXIV2_ENABLE_SHARED )
+    #    set( T_DIR Dynamic )
+    #else()
+    #    set( T_DIR Static)
+    #endif()
+
+    #set(B_DIR ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/bin/${P_DIR}/${T_DIR})
+    #set(CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR ${B_DIR})
+    #set(EXECUTABLE_OUTPUT_PATH   ${B_DIR})
+    #set(LIBRARY_OUTPUT_PATH      ${B_DIR})
 endif( MSVC )
 
 IF( EXIV2_ENABLE_XMP )
diff --git a/config/CMakeChecks.txt b/config/CMakeChecks.txt
index 2209b46b..ca9068d9 100644
--- a/config/CMakeChecks.txt
+++ b/config/CMakeChecks.txt
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ LINK_DIRECTORIES( ${CMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH} )
 SET( CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES ${CMAKE_INCLUDE_PATH} )
 
 IF( EXIV2_ENABLE_PNG )
-    FIND_PACKAGE( ZLIB )
+    FIND_PACKAGE( ZLIB REQUIRED )
     INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES( ${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR} )
     SET (HAVE_LIBZ ${ZLIB_FOUND})
 ENDIF( EXIV2_ENABLE_PNG )
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ IF( EXIV2_ENABLE_WEBREADY )
 ENDIF( EXIV2_ENABLE_WEBREADY )
 
 IF (EXIV2_ENABLE_XMP)
-    FIND_PACKAGE(EXPAT)
+    FIND_PACKAGE(EXPAT REQUIRED)
     INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${EXPAT_INCLUDE_DIR})
     # FindEXPAT.cmake doesn't check for REQUIRED flags - so we need to check ourselves
     IF( MINGW OR UNIX )
diff --git a/samples/CMakeLists.txt b/samples/CMakeLists.txt
index b68781e7..edd51721 100644
--- a/samples/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/samples/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,10 +13,6 @@ if (MSVC)
 	include(../CMake_msvc.txt)
 	msvc_runtime_configure(${EXIV2_ENABLE_SHARED})
 	# include_directories( ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../include ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../msvc64/include )
-
-	if ( NOT EXIV2_ENABLE_SHARED )
-	#	link_directories(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../../zlib-1.2.7/$(ConfigurationName))
-	endif()
 endif()
 include_directories("${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/include" "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src")
 
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 60d7b316..3b303c58 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ ENDIF()
 IF( EXIV2_ENABLE_PNG )
     IF( ZLIB_FOUND )
         IF( MSVC )
-            TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib ${PRIVATE_VAR} optimized ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES} debug ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES}d )
+            TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib ${PRIVATE_VAR} optimized ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES} )
         ELSE()
             TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib ${PRIVATE_VAR} ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES} )
         ENDIF()