diff --git a/app_builder/lib/app_builder/windows.ex b/app_builder/lib/app_builder/windows.ex
index c233a8630..6d44637fa 100644
--- a/app_builder/lib/app_builder/windows.ex
+++ b/app_builder/lib/app_builder/windows.ex
@@ -13,11 +13,6 @@ defmodule AppBuilder.Windows do
 
     copy_dir(release.path, "#{app_path}/rel")
 
-    launcher_eex_path = Path.expand("#{@templates_path}/windows/Launcher.vbs.eex")
-    launcher_bin_path = "#{app_path}/#{app_name}Launcher.vbs"
-    copy_template(launcher_eex_path, launcher_bin_path, release: release, app_options: options)
-    File.mkdir!("#{app_path}/Logs")
-
     manifest_eex_path = Path.expand("#{@templates_path}/windows/Manifest.xml.eex")
     manifest_xml_path = "#{app_path}/Manifest.xml"
     copy_template(manifest_eex_path, manifest_xml_path, release: release)
@@ -36,6 +31,33 @@ defmodule AppBuilder.Windows do
       create_icon(icon_path, "#{app_path}/AppIcon.ico")
     end
 
+    tmp_dir = "#{Mix.Project.build_path()}/tmp"
+    File.mkdir_p!(tmp_dir)
+    launcher_eex_path = Path.expand("#{@templates_path}/windows/Launcher.vb.eex")
+    launcher_src_path = "#{tmp_dir}/Launcher.vb"
+    launcher_bin_path = "#{app_path}/#{app_name}Launcher.exe"
+    copy_template(launcher_eex_path, launcher_src_path, release: release, app_options: options)
+    File.mkdir!("#{app_path}/Logs")
+
+    args = [
+      path(launcher_src_path),
+      "/out:" <> path(launcher_bin_path),
+      "/nologo",
+      "/target:winexe",
+      "/win32manifest:" <> path(manifest_xml_path)
+    ]
+
+    extra_args =
+      if icon_path do
+        ["/win32icon:" <> path("#{app_path}/AppIcon.ico")]
+      else
+        []
+      end
+
+    vbc_path = ensure_vbc()
+
+    cmd!(vbc_path, args ++ extra_args)
+
     for type <- Keyword.fetch!(options, :document_types) do
       if src_path = Keyword.get(type, :icon_path, icon_path) do
         dest_path = "#{app_path}/#{type[:name]}Icon.ico"
@@ -53,6 +75,8 @@ defmodule AppBuilder.Windows do
     release
   end
 
+  defp path(path), do: String.replace(path, "/", "\\")
+
   def handle_event(module, input)
 
   def handle_event(module, "open_url:" <> url) do
@@ -85,6 +109,16 @@ defmodule AppBuilder.Windows do
       raise "couldn't find magick.exe in PATH to automatically convert images to .ico"
   end
 
+  def ensure_vbc do
+    case System.shell("dir %WINDIR%\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework64\\vbc.exe /s/b") do
+      {path, 0} ->
+        String.trim(path)
+
+      {_, 1} ->
+        raise "cannot find vbc.exe. You need to install Visual Studio."
+    end
+  end
+
   defp create_icon(src_path, dest_path) do
     log(:green, "creating", Path.relative_to_cwd(dest_path))
     src_path = normalize_icon_path(src_path)
diff --git a/app_builder/lib/templates/windows/Installer.nsi.eex b/app_builder/lib/templates/windows/Installer.nsi.eex
index 956dd727a..b47fda6c9 100644
--- a/app_builder/lib/templates/windows/Installer.nsi.eex
+++ b/app_builder/lib/templates/windows/Installer.nsi.eex
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ Section "Install"
   ExecWait '"$INSTDIR\vcredist_x64.exe" /install'
 
   File /r rel rel
-  File "<%= app_name %>Launcher.vbs"
+  File "<%= app_name %>Launcher.exe"
 <%= if @app_options[:icon_path] do %>
   File "AppIcon.ico"
 <% end %>
@@ -61,10 +61,11 @@ Section "Install"
   WriteRegStr HKCR ".<%= ext %>" "" "<%= app_name %>.<%= type[:name] %>"
 <% end %>
   WriteRegStr HKCR "<%= app_name %>.<%= type[:name] %>" "" "<%= type[:name] %>"
-<%= if type[:icon_path] || @app_options[:icon_path] do %>
+<%= if path = type[:icon_path] || @app_options[:icon_path] do %>
+  File "<%= type[:name] %>Icon.ico"
   WriteRegStr HKCR "<%= app_name %>.<%= type[:name] %>\DefaultIcon" "" "$INSTDIR\<%= type[:name] %>Icon.ico"
 <% end %>
-  WriteRegStr HKCR "<%= app_name %>.<%= type[:name] %>\shell\open\command" "" '$WINDIR\system32\wscript.exe "$INSTDIR\<%= app_name %>Launcher.vbs" "open_file:%1"'
+  WriteRegStr HKCR "<%= app_name %>.<%= type[:name] %>\shell\open\command" "" '"$INSTDIR\<%= app_name %>Launcher.exe" "open_file:%1"'
 <% end %>
 
 <%= for url_scheme <- Keyword.fetch!(@app_options, :url_schemes) do %>
@@ -74,12 +75,12 @@ Section "Install"
   WriteRegStr  HKCR "<%= url_scheme %>" "URL Protocol" ""
   WriteRegStr  HKCR "<%= url_scheme %>\shell" "" ""
   WriteRegStr  HKCR "<%= url_scheme %>\shell\open" "" ""
-  WriteRegStr  HKCR "<%= url_scheme %>\shell\open\command" "" '$WINDIR\system32\wscript.exe "$INSTDIR\<%= app_name %>Launcher.vbs" "open_url:%1"'
+  WriteRegStr  HKCR "<%= url_scheme %>\shell\open\command" "" '"$INSTDIR\<%= app_name %>Launcher.exe" "open_url:%1"'
 <% end %>
 SectionEnd
 
 Section "Desktop Shortcut"
-  CreateShortCut "$DESKTOP\<%= app_name %>.lnk" "$INSTDIR\<%= app_name %>Launcher.vbs" "" <%= if @app_options[:icon_path] do %> "$INSTDIR\AppIcon.ico" <% end %>
+  CreateShortCut "$DESKTOP\<%= app_name %>.lnk" "$INSTDIR\<%= app_name %>Launcher.exe" "" <%= if @app_options[:icon_path] do %> "$INSTDIR\AppIcon.ico" <% end %>
 SectionEnd
 
 Section "Uninstall"
diff --git a/app_builder/lib/templates/windows/Launcher.vb.eex b/app_builder/lib/templates/windows/Launcher.vb.eex
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b22531eba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app_builder/lib/templates/windows/Launcher.vb.eex
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+<%
+
+additional_paths =
+  for path <- Keyword.fetch!(@app_options, :additional_paths), into: "" do
+    "root & \"\\" <> String.replace(path, "/", "\\") <> ";\" & "
+  end
+
+%>
+
+Imports System
+
+Module Launcher
+   Sub Main(args As String())
+     Dim root = My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath
+     Dim script = root & "\rel\bin\<%= @release.name %>.bat"
+
+     Dim input as String
+     If args.count > 0 Then
+       input = args(0)
+     Else
+       input = "open_app"
+     End If
+
+<%= if additional_paths != "" do %>
+    Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("PATH", <%= additional_paths%>Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("PATH"))
+<% end %>
+
+     Dim cmd as String
+     ' try release rpc, if release is down, this will fail but that's ok.
+     cmd = "echo " & input & " | """ & script & """ rpc ""AppBuilder.__rpc__()"""
+     Shell("cmd.exe /c " & cmd, 0)
+
+     ' try release start, if release is up, this will fail but that's ok.
+     Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("APP_BUILDER_INPUT", input)
+     cmd = """" & script & """ start"
+     Shell("cmd.exe /c " & cmd, 0)
+   End Sub
+End Module
diff --git a/app_builder/lib/templates/windows/Launcher.vbs.eex b/app_builder/lib/templates/windows/Launcher.vbs.eex
deleted file mode 100644
index 0d61702fe..000000000
--- a/app_builder/lib/templates/windows/Launcher.vbs.eex
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,33 +0,0 @@
-<%
-
-additional_paths =
-  for path <- Keyword.fetch!(@app_options, :additional_paths), into: "" do
-    "root & \"" <> String.replace(path, "/", "\\") <> ";\" & "
-  end
-
-%>
-
-root = Left(Wscript.ScriptFullName, Len(Wscript.ScriptFullName) - Len(Wscript.ScriptName))
-script = root & "rel\bin\<%= @release.name %>.bat"
-
-If WScript.Arguments.Count > 0 Then
-  input = WScript.Arguments(0)
-Else
-  input = "open_app"
-End If
-
-Set shell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
-Set env = shell.Environment("Process")
-<%= if additional_paths != "" do %>
-env("PATH") = <%= additional_paths %>env("PATH")
-<% end %>
-
-' try release rpc, if release is down, this will fail but that's ok.
-cmd = "echo " & input & " | """ & script & """ rpc ""AppBuilder.__rpc__()"""
-status = shell.Run("cmd /c " & cmd, 0, true)
-
-' try release start, if release is up, this will fail but that's ok.
-env("APP_BUILDER_INPUT") = input
-cmd = """" & script & """ start"
-status = shell.Run("cmd /c " & cmd, 0)
-