Unable to install any library that requires build

[bangusi]

Host Environment
Vcpkg package management program version 2019.08.27-nohash
OS: Windows 10
Compiler: VS Express 2017 for Windows Desktop
( Also tried with Commutiny Edition - same result )
Cmake: cmake-3.15.3-win64-x64 ( tried 3.14 -- same result )

(Note I have two other Windows 10 machines where vcpkg behaves as expected )

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:
./vcpkg install cxxopts:x64-windows-static
(Note this just one of the libraries that I tried to install and failed. Others include fmt, boost-filesystem).

Failure logs
-- Configuring x64-windows-static
CMake Error at scripts/cmake/vcpkg_execute_required_process.cmake:72 (message):
Command failed: ninja -v
Working Directory: ..\vcpkg/buildtrees/cxxopts/x64-windows-static-rel/vcpkg-parallel-configure
Error code: 1
See logs for more information:
..\vcpkg\buildtrees\cxxopts\config-x64-windows-static-out.log

Call Stack (most recent call first):
scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_cmake.cmake:296 (vcpkg_execute_required_process)
ports/cxxopts/portfile.cmake:12 (vcpkg_configure_cmake)
scripts/ports.cmake:85 (include)

Error: Building package cxxopts:x64-windows-static failed with: BUILD_FAILED
config-x64-windows-static-out.log

Additional context
Installed VS 2017, Community Edition .. didn't work
Tried different versions of Cmake, -- none worked
Run Powershell with and without Admin rights
Forced use of different versions of WIndows SDK

[MVoz]

RC Pass 1 command "rc /fo CMakeFiles\cmTC_04175.dir/manifest.res CMakeFiles\cmTC_04175.dir/manifest.rc" failed (exit code 0) with the following output:
The system cannot find the file specified

where rc.exe

2. --mt=CMAKE_MT-NOTFOUND --manifests

where mt.exe

REINSTALL WinSDK

[bangusi]

I have those executables in these loctions

C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\10.0.17763.0\x64
C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\10.0.17763.0\x86

Should I install a specific version on WinSDK? which one?

Update:
Just reinstalled WinSDK ( 10.0.17763.0 ) from here https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/sdk-archive
The issue still not fixed.

[MVoz]

install cmake 3.15.1 ?, 3.15.3

[bangusi]

I tried 3.15.3 didn't help. Where can I get 3.15.1?
The latest from https://cmake.org/download is 3.15.3.

[MVoz]

vcpkg env --debug --triplet x64-windows-static

where mt

where rc

? log

[bangusi]

./vcpkg env --debug --triplet x64-windows-static
[DEBUG] Using vcpkg-root: C:\Users\stellaF\Programs\vcpkg
[DEBUG] Found path: C:\Users\stellaF\Programs\cmake-3.15.3-win64-x64\bin\cmake.exe
[DEBUG] _wpopen(""C:\Users\stellaF\Programs\cmake-3.15.3-win64-x64\bin\cmake.exe" --version 2>&1")
[DEBUG] _pclose() returned 0 after 164674 us
[DEBUG] _wpopen(""C:\Users\stellaF\Programs\cmake-3.15.3-win64-x64\bin\cmake.exe" "-DCMAKE_TRIPLET_FILE=C:/Users/stellaF/Programs/vcpkg/triplets/x64-windows-static.cmake" -P "C:/Users/stellaF/Programs/vcpkg/scripts/get_triplet_environment.cmake" 2>&1")
[DEBUG] _pclose() returned 0 after 82413 us
[DEBUG] _wpopen(""C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer\vswhere.exe" -all -prerelease -legacy -products * -format xml 2>&1")
[DEBUG] _pclose() returned 0 after 81664 us
[DEBUG] CreateProcessW(cmd.exe /c ""C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\WDExpress\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat" -vcvars_ver=14.1 x86_amd64 2>&1 <NUL && cmd")

---

** Visual Studio 2017 Developer Command Prompt v15.9.15
** Copyright (c) 2017 Microsoft Corporation

---

[vcvarsall.bat] Environment initialized for: 'x86_x64'
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.17134.950]
(c) 2018 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

>where rc.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\10.0.17763.0\x86\rc.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\10.0.17763.0\x64\rc.exe

>where mt.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\MKS Toolkit\mksnt\mt.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\10.0.17763.0\x86\mt.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\10.0.17763.0\x64\mt.exe

[MVoz]

rename - C:\Program Files (x86)\MKS Toolkit\mksnt\mt.exe

[bangusi]

renamed mt to z_mt. Still fails

[MVoz]

where lib.exe

where link.exe

another thing that I do not like, x86 is ahead of x64, perhaps because of this error

1. C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\10.0.17763.0\ x86 \
2. C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\10.0.17763.0\ x64 \

should be the other way around

[MVoz]

and, cmake-3.15.3-win64-x64 should use Hostx64, you Hostx86

14.16.27023/bin/ Hostx86 /x64/cl.exe -- broken

Try to use full compatibility
cmake- win32-x86

otherwise I don't see any reason for the errors, or maybe no component has been installed

rust-lang/rust#53474

[bangusi]

Fixed the order.. still .
Question:
I have another machine that has same tool chain ( i.e. 2017\WDExpress ). Works fine.
Differences to note:

vcpkg version
2018.10.20
Powershell 5.1 ( new vcpkg insists on downloading 6.2.1 )

Can I get an older version of vcpkg?