Latest windows-server 2022/2025 pre-release image breaks Rust compilation

[thomaseizinger]

Description

Building a Rust program fails with:

linking with `link.exe` failed: exit code: 0xc0000409

This consistently reproduces for me when our GUI application is being built on the new Windows runners.

Platforms affected

• Azure DevOps
• GitHub Actions - Standard Runners
• GitHub Actions - Larger Runners

Runner images affected

• Ubuntu 22.04
• Ubuntu 24.04
• macOS 13
• macOS 13 Arm64
• macOS 14
• macOS 14 Arm64
• macOS 15
• macOS 15 Arm64
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2022
• Windows Server 2025

Image version and build link

Windows Server 2022 (20250609) Image Update (https://github.com/actions/runner-images/releases/tag/win22%2F20250617.1)

https://github.com/firezone/firezone/actions/runs/15777748095/job/44475944088?pr=9590

Is it regression?

https://github.com/firezone/firezone/actions/runs/15765079094/job/44440022609

Expected behavior

To be able to compile and link Rust projects on the Windows runner.

Actual behavior

The linking step fails.

Repro steps

Compile and link a Rust project on the pre-release runner image.

[hemanthmanga]

Hi @thomaseizinger, Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We will look into this issue and will update you after investigating.

[thomaseizinger]

This is affecting windows-2025 now as well: https://github.com/firezone/firezone/actions/runs/15789902409/job/44513762369

[thomaseizinger]

Interestingly, this only appears to affect one particular workflow of ours. Other Windows workflows where we build Rust code work fine.

[RaviAkshintala]

@thomaseizinger We have been following your repository and noticed that the job which previously failed on Windows Server 2022 is now passing, as seen in the GitHub Actions workflow below. Can you please confirm us if the issue is resolved. Thanks.

https://github.com/firezone/firezone/actions/runs/15821315684/job/44591093421

[thomaseizinger]

This is not the job that is failing. The job that is failing is: https://github.com/firezone/firezone/actions/runs/15816630435/job/44576867194

It appears to be a regression in the Microsoft compiler shipped with the new Visual Studio version that has been installed: rust-lang/rust#141626

[bal-e]

We seem to be affected by this too, over at https://github.com/NLnetLabs/domain/actions/runs/15872079664/job/44750833965?pr=491.

[thomaseizinger]

As a workaround, we are now using lld as suggested in rust-lang/rust#141626 (comment).

No issues so far but we still need to do further testing on the produced binaries.

[bal-e]

@thomaseizinger, I can confirm that adding the linked .cargo/config.toml file fixes things for us. It might be a bit faster too, not sure.