diff --git a/CMakeUserPresets.json.template b/CMakeUserPresets.json.template
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3dea9bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CMakeUserPresets.json.template
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+{
+  "version": 6,
+  "cmakeMinimumRequired": { "major": 3, "minor": 25, "patch": 0 },
+  "configurePresets": [
+    {
+      "name": "win-local",
+      "displayName": "Windows • Debug (local — build dir outside OneDrive/spaces)",
+      "inherits": "windows-debug",
+      "binaryDir": "C:/Users/@USERNAME@/pdfeng-build/win-local"
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "win-local-pdfium",
+      "displayName": "Windows • RelWithDebInfo + PDFium (static CRT — build dir outside OneDrive/spaces)",
+      "inherits": "windows-release",
+      "binaryDir": "C:/Users/@USERNAME@/pdfeng-build/win-local-pdfium",
+      "cacheVariables": { "PDFENGINE_WITH_PDFIUM": "ON" }
+    }
+  ],
+  "buildPresets": [
+    { "name": "win-local", "configurePreset": "win-local" },
+    { "name": "win-local-pdfium", "configurePreset": "win-local-pdfium" }
+  ],
+  "testPresets": [
+    { "name": "win-local", "inherits": "common", "configurePreset": "win-local" },
+    { "name": "win-local-pdfium", "inherits": "common", "configurePreset": "win-local-pdfium" }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/scripts/build_cpp.ps1 b/scripts/build_cpp.ps1
index 5929160..90098ea 100644
--- a/scripts/build_cpp.ps1
+++ b/scripts/build_cpp.ps1
@@ -1,8 +1,46 @@
+param (
+    [string]$Preset = "win-local-pdfium"
+)
+
+$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+
+$ScriptDir = Split-Path -Parent $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path
+
+# --- Auto-generate CMakeUserPresets.json if missing ---
+$UserPresetsPath = Join-Path $ScriptDir "..\CMakeUserPresets.json"
+if (-not (Test-Path $UserPresetsPath)) {
+    $TemplatePath = Join-Path $ScriptDir "..\CMakeUserPresets.json.template"
+    if (Test-Path $TemplatePath) {
+        Write-Host "CMakeUserPresets.json not found. Auto-generating it from template for user: $env:USERNAME..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
+        $content = Get-Content $TemplatePath -Raw
+        $content = $content -replace "@USERNAME@", $env:USERNAME
+        [System.IO.File]::WriteAllText($UserPresetsPath, $content)
+        Write-Host "Generated CMakeUserPresets.json successfully." -ForegroundColor Green
+    }
+}
+
+# --- Resolve vcpkg root ---
 $vcpkgRoot = $env:VCPKG_ROOT
 if (-not $vcpkgRoot) {
-    $vcpkgRoot = "C:\Users\furqa\vcpkg"
+    $candidates = @(
+        "C:\vcpkg",
+        "C:\src\vcpkg",
+        "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\vcpkg",
+        "C:\Users\furqa\vcpkg"
+    )
+    foreach ($cand in $candidates) {
+        if (Test-Path $cand) {
+            $vcpkgRoot = $cand
+            break
+        }
+    }
+    
+    if (-not $vcpkgRoot) {
+        Write-Error "VCPKG_ROOT was not set and vcpkg could not be found at standard locations. Please set the VCPKG_ROOT environment variable."
+        exit 1
+    }
     $env:VCPKG_ROOT = $vcpkgRoot
-    Write-Host "VCPKG_ROOT was not set. Defaulting to $vcpkgRoot" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+    Write-Host "VCPKG_ROOT defaulted to: $vcpkgRoot" -ForegroundColor Yellow
 }
 
 $vcvars = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\18\BuildTools\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat"
@@ -10,6 +48,16 @@ if (-not (Test-Path $vcvars)) {
     $vcvars = "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat"
 }
 
+if (-not (Test-Path $vcvars)) {
+    $vswhere = Join-Path ${env:ProgramFiles(x86)} 'Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer\vswhere.exe'
+    if (Test-Path $vswhere) {
+        $vsPath = (& $vswhere -latest -prerelease -products * -property installationPath | Select-Object -First 1)
+        if ($vsPath) {
+            $vcvars = Join-Path $vsPath "VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat"
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 if (-not (Test-Path $vcvars)) {
     Write-Error "Could not find vcvars64.bat. Please ensure Visual Studio or Build Tools is installed."
     exit 1
@@ -21,15 +69,15 @@ cmd /c "`"$vcvars`" && set" | Where-Object { $_ -match '=' } | ForEach-Object {
     [System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable($name, $value, 'Process')
 }
 
-Write-Host "Configuring CMake preset 'win-local-pdfium'..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
-cmake --preset win-local-pdfium
+Write-Host "Configuring CMake preset '$Preset'..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
+cmake --preset $Preset
 if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
     Write-Error "CMake configuration failed."
     exit $LASTEXITCODE
 }
 
 Write-Host "Building all targets..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
-cmake --build --preset win-local-pdfium
+cmake --build --preset $Preset
 if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
     Write-Error "Build failed."
     exit $LASTEXITCODE