diff --git a/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py b/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
index ecfa177d763..29d5668c611 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
@@ -182,13 +182,13 @@ class build_ext (Command):
             self.include_dirs.append(os.path.join(sys.exec_prefix, 'PC'))
             if MSVC_VERSION == 9:
                 self.library_dirs.append(os.path.join(sys.exec_prefix,
-                                         'PCBuild9'))
+                                         'PCbuild'))
             elif MSVC_VERSION == 8:
                 self.library_dirs.append(os.path.join(sys.exec_prefix,
-                                         'PCBuild8', 'win32release'))
+                                         'PC', 'VS8.0', 'win32release'))
             else:
                 self.library_dirs.append(os.path.join(sys.exec_prefix,
-                                         'PCBuild'))
+                                         'PC', 'VS7.1'))
 
         # OS/2 (EMX) doesn't support Debug vs Release builds, but has the
         # import libraries in its "Config" subdirectory
diff --git a/PCbuild/_bsddb.vcproj b/PCbuild/_bsddb.vcproj
index 205a1788d80..a59c7032aec 100644
--- a/PCbuild/_bsddb.vcproj
+++ b/PCbuild/_bsddb.vcproj
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCPreLinkEventTool"
-				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Debug\libdb44sd.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;devenv Berkeley_DB.sln /build Debug /project db_static&#x0D;&#x0A;"
+				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Debug\libdb44sd.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;vcbuild /useenv db_static.vcproj &quot;Debug|Win32&quot;&#x0D;&#x0A;"
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCLinkerTool"
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCPreLinkEventTool"
-				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Debug_AMD64\libdb44sd.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;devenv Berkeley_DB.sln /build &quot;Debug AMD64&quot; /project db_static /useenv&#x0D;&#x0A;"
+				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Debug_AMD64\libdb44sd.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;vcbuild /useenv db_static.vcproj &quot;Debug AMD64|Win32&quot;&#x0D;&#x0A;"
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCLinkerTool"
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCPreLinkEventTool"
-				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Release\libdb44s.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;devenv Berkeley_DB.sln /build Release /project db_static&#x0D;&#x0A;"
+				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Release\libdb44s.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;vcbuild /useenv db_static.vcproj &quot;Release|Win32&quot;&#x0D;&#x0A;"
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCLinkerTool"
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCPreLinkEventTool"
-				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Release_AMD64\libdb44s.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;devenv Berkeley_DB.sln /build &quot;Release AMD64&quot; /project db_static /useenv&#x0D;&#x0A;"
+				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Release_AMD64\libdb44s.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;vcbuild /useenv db_static.vcproj &quot;Release AMD64|Win32&quot;&#x0D;&#x0A;"
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCLinkerTool"
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCPreLinkEventTool"
-				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Release\libdb44s.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;devenv Berkeley_DB.sln /build Release /project db_static&#x0D;&#x0A;"
+				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Release\libdb44s.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;vcbuild /useenv db_static.vcproj &quot;Release|Win32&quot;&#x0D;&#x0A;"
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCLinkerTool"
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCPreLinkEventTool"
-				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Release_AMD64\libdb44s.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;devenv Berkeley_DB.sln /build &quot;Release AMD64&quot; /project db_static /useenv&#x0D;&#x0A;"
+				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Release_AMD64\libdb44s.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;vcbuild /useenv db_static.vcproj &quot;Release AMD64|Win32&quot;&#x0D;&#x0A;"
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCLinkerTool"
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCPreLinkEventTool"
-				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Release\libdb44s.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;devenv Berkeley_DB.sln /build Release /project db_static&#x0D;&#x0A;"
+				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Release\libdb44s.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;vcbuild /useenv db_static.vcproj &quot;Release|Win32&quot;&#x0D;&#x0A;"
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCLinkerTool"
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCPreLinkEventTool"
-				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Release_AMD64\libdb44s.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;devenv Berkeley_DB.sln /build &quot;Release AMD64&quot; /project db_static /useenv&#x0D;&#x0A;"
+				CommandLine="cd $(bsddbDir)&#x0D;&#x0A;if exist Release_AMD64\libdb44s.lib exit 0&#x0D;&#x0A;vcbuild /useenv db_static.vcproj &quot;Release AMD64|Win32&quot;&#x0D;&#x0A;"
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCLinkerTool"
diff --git a/PCbuild/build.bat b/PCbuild/build.bat
index 9bc818676fe..d181daf802b 100644
--- a/PCbuild/build.bat
+++ b/PCbuild/build.bat
@@ -12,6 +12,6 @@ if "%1"=="-c" (set conf=%2)     & shift & shift & goto CheckOpts
 if "%1"=="-p" (set platf=%2) & shift & shift & goto CheckOpts
 if "%1"=="-r" (set build=/rebuild)    & shift & goto CheckOpts
 
-set cmd=devenv pcbuild.sln %build% "%conf%|%platf%"
+set cmd=vcbuild /useenv pcbuild.sln %build% "%conf%|%platf%"
 echo %cmd%
 %cmd%
diff --git a/PCbuild/readme.txt b/PCbuild/readme.txt
index 764ab8a74af..2b2d1f861c2 100644
--- a/PCbuild/readme.txt
+++ b/PCbuild/readme.txt
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ Solution" or F6 takes care of dependencies except for x64 builds. To make
 cross compiling x64 builds on a 32bit OS possible the x64 builds require a 
 32bit version of Python.
 
-
 NOTE:
    You probably don't want to build most of the other subprojects, unless
    you're building an entire Python distribution from scratch, or
@@ -192,10 +191,11 @@ _bsddb
       svn export http://svn.python.org/projects/external/db-4.4.20
 
     Next open the solution file db-4.4.20\build_win32\Berkeley_DB.sln with
-    Visual Studio and convert the projects to the new format. The standard
-    and professional version of VS 2008 builds the necessary libraries
-    in a pre-link step of _bsddb. However the express edition is missing
-    some pieces and you have to build the libs yourself.
+    Visual Studio and convert the projects to the new format. VS 2008 
+    builds the necessary libraries in a pre-link step of _bsddb. You
+    have to add "$(VCInstallDir)vcpackages" to the search path first
+    (Tools -> Options -> Projects and Solutions -> VC++ Directories,
+     Platform: Win32, Show directories for: Executable files).
     
     The _bsddb subprojects depends only on the db_static project of 
     Berkeley DB. You have to choose either "Release", "Release AMD64", "Debug"