diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI-windows.yml b/.github/workflows/CI-windows.yml
index 8271baacb..6e2ee5556 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CI-windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI-windows.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         # windows 2016 should default to VS 2017. Not supported by setup-msbuild
         os: [windows-2019]
+        arch: [x64, x86]
       fail-fast: true
 
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
@@ -26,79 +27,100 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Setup msbuild.exe
         uses: microsoft/setup-msbuild@v1.0.2
-                  
+
       - name: Install PCRE
         run: |
-          curl -fsSL https://ftp.pcre.org/pub/pcre/pcre-%PCRE_VERSION%.zip -o pcre-%PCRE_VERSION%.zip
-          7z x pcre-%PCRE_VERSION%.zip
-          cd pcre-%PCRE_VERSION%
-          cmake . -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64
-          msbuild -m PCRE.sln /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=x64
-          dir
-          dir Release
-          dir x64
-          dir x64\Release
-          copy pcre.h ..\externals
-          copy Release\pcre.lib ..\externals\pcre64.lib
+          call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat" ${{ matrix.arch }} || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          curl -fsSL https://ftp.pcre.org/pub/pcre/pcre-%PCRE_VERSION%.zip -o pcre-%PCRE_VERSION%.zip || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          7z x pcre-%PCRE_VERSION%.zip || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          cd pcre-%PCRE_VERSION% || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          cmake . -G "NMake Makefiles" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DPCRE_BUILD_PCRECPP=Off -DPCRE_BUILD_TESTS=Off -DPCRE_BUILD_PCREGREP=Off || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          nmake || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          copy pcre.h ..\externals || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          if "${{ matrix.arch }}" == "x86" (
+            copy pcre.lib ..\externals\pcre.lib || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          ) else (
+            copy pcre.lib ..\externals\pcre64.lib || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          )
         env:
           # see https://www.pcre.org/original/changelog.txt
           PCRE_VERSION: 8.44  
 
       - name: Install Z3 library
         run: |
-          curl -fsSL https://github.com/Z3Prover/z3/releases/download/z3-%Z3_VERSION%/z3-%Z3_VERSION%-x64-win.zip -o z3-%Z3_VERSION%-win.zip
-          7z x z3-%Z3_VERSION%-win.zip -oexternals -r -y
-          move externals\z3-%Z3_VERSION%-x64-win externals\z3
+          curl -fsSL https://github.com/Z3Prover/z3/releases/download/z3-%Z3_VERSION%/z3-%Z3_VERSION%-${{ matrix.arch }}-win.zip -o z3-%Z3_VERSION%-win.zip || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          7z x z3-%Z3_VERSION%-win.zip -oexternals -r -y || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          move externals\z3-%Z3_VERSION%-${{ matrix.arch }}-win externals\z3 || exit /b !errorlevel!
         env:
           # see https://github.com/Z3Prover/z3/releases:  
           Z3_VERSION: 4.8.10
 
+      # no 32-bit Qt available
       - name: Install Qt
+        if: matrix.os == 'x64'
         uses: jurplel/install-qt-action@v2
         with:
           modules: 'qtcharts'
 
-      - name: Build GUI x64 release
+      - name: Build GUI release
+        if: matrix.os == 'x64'
         run: |
-          call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat" 
-          cd gui
-          qmake HAVE_QCHART=yes
-          nmake release
+          call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat" ${{ matrix.arch }} || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          cd gui || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          qmake HAVE_QCHART=yes || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          nmake release || exit /b !errorlevel!
       
       - name: Deploy GUI
+        if: matrix.os == 'x64'
         run: |
-          windeployqt Build\gui
-          del Build\gui\cppcheck-gui.ilk
-          del Build\gui\cppcheck-gui.pdb
+          windeployqt Build\gui || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          del Build\gui\cppcheck-gui.ilk || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          del Build\gui\cppcheck-gui.pdb || exit /b !errorlevel!
           
-      - name: Build CLI x64 debug configuration using MSBuild
-        run: msbuild -m cppcheck.sln /p:Configuration=Debug-PCRE /p:Platform=x64
+      - name: Build CLI debug configuration using MSBuild
+        run: |
+          call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat" ${{ matrix.arch }} || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          set ARCH=${{ matrix.arch }}
+          if "${{ matrix.arch }}" == "x86" (
+            set ARCH=Win32
+          )
+          msbuild -m cppcheck.sln /p:Configuration=Debug-PCRE;Platform=%ARCH% -maxcpucount || exit /b !errorlevel!
 
       - name: Run Debug test
-        run: .\bin\debug\testrunner.exe
+        run: .\bin\debug\testrunner.exe || exit /b !errorlevel!
 
-      - name: Build x64 release configuration using MSBuild
-        run: msbuild -m cppcheck.sln /p:Configuration=Release-PCRE /p:Platform=x64
+      - name: Build CLI release configuration using MSBuild
+        run: |
+          call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat" ${{ matrix.arch }} || exit /b !errorlevel!
+          set ARCH=${{ matrix.arch }}
+          if "${{ matrix.arch }}" == "x86" (
+            set ARCH=Win32
+          )
+          msbuild -m cppcheck.sln /p:Configuration=Release-PCRE;Platform=%ARCH% -maxcpucount || exit /b !errorlevel!
 
       - name: Run Release test
-        run: .\bin\testrunner.exe
+        run: .\bin\testrunner.exe || exit /b !errorlevel!
  
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        if: matrix.os == 'x64'
         with:
           name: cppcheck_gui
           path: Build\gui
           
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        if: matrix.os == 'x64'
         with:
           name: cppcheck_gui
           path: ./**/cfg/*.cfg
         
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        if: matrix.os == 'x64'
         with:
           name: cppcheck_gui
           path: ./**/platforms/*.xml  
           
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        if: matrix.os == 'x64'
         with:
           name: cppcheck_gui
           path: externals\z3\bin\*.dll