diff --git a/build_files/cmake/platform/platform_win32.cmake b/build_files/cmake/platform/platform_win32.cmake
index 6e469cdd307..e52d2be3b34 100644
--- a/build_files/cmake/platform/platform_win32.cmake
+++ b/build_files/cmake/platform/platform_win32.cmake
@@ -522,6 +522,28 @@ if(WITH_PYTHON)
   set(PYTHON_LIBRARIES debug "${PYTHON_LIBRARY_DEBUG}" optimized "${PYTHON_LIBRARY}" )
 endif()
 
+if(NOT WITH_WINDOWS_FIND_MODULES)
+  # even if boost is off, we still need to install the dlls when we use our lib folder since
+  # some of the other dependencies may need them. For this to work, BOOST_VERSION,
+  # BOOST_POSTFIX, and BOOST_DEBUG_POSTFIX need to be set.
+  set(BOOST ${LIBDIR}/boost)
+  set(BOOST_INCLUDE_DIR ${BOOST}/include)
+  set(BOOST_LIBPATH ${BOOST}/lib)
+  set(BOOST_VERSION_HEADER ${BOOST_INCLUDE_DIR}/boost/version.hpp)
+  if(EXISTS ${BOOST_VERSION_HEADER})
+    file(STRINGS "${BOOST_VERSION_HEADER}" BOOST_LIB_VERSION REGEX "#define BOOST_LIB_VERSION ")
+    if(BOOST_LIB_VERSION MATCHES "#define BOOST_LIB_VERSION \"([0-9_]+)\"")
+      set(BOOST_VERSION "${CMAKE_MATCH_1}")
+    endif()
+  endif()
+  if(NOT BOOST_VERSION)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Unable to determine Boost version")
+  endif()
+  set(BOOST_POSTFIX "vc142-mt-x64-${BOOST_VERSION}")
+  set(BOOST_DEBUG_POSTFIX "vc142-mt-gyd-x64-${BOOST_VERSION}")
+  set(BOOST_PREFIX "")
+endif()
+
 if(WITH_BOOST)
   if(WITH_CYCLES AND WITH_CYCLES_OSL)
     set(boost_extra_libs wave)
@@ -537,22 +559,6 @@ if(WITH_BOOST)
   endif()
   if(NOT Boost_FOUND)
     warn_hardcoded_paths(BOOST)
-    set(BOOST ${LIBDIR}/boost)
-    set(BOOST_INCLUDE_DIR ${BOOST}/include)
-    set(BOOST_LIBPATH ${BOOST}/lib)
-    set(BOOST_VERSION_HEADER ${BOOST_INCLUDE_DIR}/boost/version.hpp)
-    if(EXISTS ${BOOST_VERSION_HEADER})
-      file(STRINGS "${BOOST_VERSION_HEADER}" BOOST_LIB_VERSION REGEX "#define BOOST_LIB_VERSION ")
-      if(BOOST_LIB_VERSION MATCHES "#define BOOST_LIB_VERSION \"([0-9_]+)\"")
-        set(BOOST_VERSION "${CMAKE_MATCH_1}")
-      endif()
-    endif()
-    if(NOT BOOST_VERSION)
-      message(FATAL_ERROR "Unable to determine Boost version")
-    endif()
-    set(BOOST_POSTFIX "vc142-mt-x64-${BOOST_VERSION}")
-    set(BOOST_DEBUG_POSTFIX "vc142-mt-gyd-x64-${BOOST_VERSION}")
-    set(BOOST_PREFIX "")
     # This is file new in 3.4 if it does not exist, assume we are building against 3.3 libs
     set(BOOST_34_TRIGGER_FILE ${BOOST_LIBPATH}/${BOOST_PREFIX}boost_python310-${BOOST_DEBUG_POSTFIX}.lib)
     if(NOT EXISTS ${BOOST_34_TRIGGER_FILE})