diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 8003605..031b8d4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -17,19 +17,14 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         runs-on: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest, macos-latest]
         python:
-          - 3.8
-          - 3.9
           - '3.10'
           - '3.11'
           - '3.12'
+          - '3.13'
         exclude:
-          # macos-latest is now running on M1 macs
+          # Python 3.10 has issues on macOS M1 runners (missing gettext/libintl)
           - runs-on: macos-latest
-            python: 3.8
-          - runs-on: macos-latest
-            python: 3.9
-          - runs-on: macos-latest
-            python: 3.10
+            python: '3.10'
 
     name: "Unit tests • ${{ matrix.python }} • ${{ matrix.runs-on }} • x64 ${{ matrix.args }}"
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.runs-on }}
@@ -81,19 +76,14 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         runs-on: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest, macos-latest]
         python:
-          - 3.8
-          - 3.9
           - '3.10'
           - '3.11'
           - '3.12'
+          - '3.13'
         exclude:
-          # macos-latest is now running on M1 macs
-          - runs-on: macos-latest
-            python: 3.8
+          # Python 3.10 has issues on macOS M1 runners (missing gettext/libintl)
           - runs-on: macos-latest
-            python: 3.9
-          - runs-on: macos-latest
-            python: 3.10
+            python: '3.10'
 
     name: "System tests ${{ matrix.python }} • ${{ matrix.runs-on }} • x64 ${{ matrix.args }}"
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.runs-on }}
@@ -110,10 +100,6 @@ jobs:
           git fetch --prune --unshallow
           git fetch --depth=1 origin +refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*
 
-      - name: Enable Developer Command Prompt
-        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
-        uses: ilammy/msvc-dev-cmd@v1.13.0
-
       - name: Setup Python ${{ matrix.python }}
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
@@ -142,28 +128,36 @@ jobs:
       - name: Prepare env (Windows)
         if: runner.os == 'Windows'
         run: |
-          choco install -y llvm cppcheck ninja
-          if (!(Test-Path -Path $PROFILE)) {
-              New-Item -ItemType File -Path $PROFILE -Force
-          }
+          choco install -y llvm ninja
+          Import-Module "${ENV:ChocolateyInstall}\helpers\chocolateyProfile.psm1"
+          Update-SessionEnvironment
 
-          Write-Output 'Import-Module "${ENV:ChocolateyInstall}\helpers\chocolateyProfile.psm1"' | Out-File -FilePath $PROFILE -Append -Encoding utf8
-          Write-Output 'Update-SessionEnvironment' | Out-File -FilePath $PROFILE -Append -Encoding utf8
-          Write-Output '$id = vswhere -property instanceId' | Out-File -FilePath $PROFILE -Append -Encoding utf8
-          Write-Output 'Import-Module "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise\Common7\Tools\Microsoft.VisualStudio.DevShell.dll"' `
-          | Out-File -FilePath $PROFILE -Append -Encoding utf8
-          Write-Output 'Enter-VsDevShell -InstanceId $id' | Out-File -FilePath $PROFILE -Append -Encoding utf8
-          Write-Output 'Set-Location -Path "${ENV:GITHUB_WORKSPACE}"' | Out-File -FilePath $PROFILE -Append -Encoding utf8
-          Get-Content -Path $PROFILE
+          # Restore Python to PATH after Update-SessionEnvironment (it resets PATH from system)
+          $env:PATH = "$env:pythonLocation;$env:pythonLocation\Scripts;$env:PATH"
 
-          . $PROFILE
-          Get-Location
+          # Install cppcheck via pip (choco package is broken, pip wheel works correctly)
+          python -m pip install pre-commit cpplint lizard cppcheck
 
-          Write-Output "CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$env:PATH" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_ENV -Encoding utf8 -Append
+          Get-Command @("python", "clang-format", "clang-tidy", "cppcheck", "cpplint", "lizard", "pre-commit")
 
-          python -m pip install pre-commit cpplint lizard
+      # Enable MSVC dev command AFTER chocolatey packages are installed to avoid
+      # Update-SessionEnvironment overwriting MSVC environment variables
+      - name: Enable Developer Command Prompt
+        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+        uses: ilammy/msvc-dev-cmd@v1.13.0
 
-          Get-Command @("python", "clang-format", "clang-tidy", "cppcheck", "cpplint", "lizard", "pre-commit")
+      # Restore Python to front of PATH after MSVC setup
+      # (MSVC's vcvarsall.bat prepends paths including VS's bundled Python 3.9,
+      # which conflicts with our Python 3.10+ requirement)
+      - name: Restore Python PATH
+        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+        run: |
+          "$env:pythonLocation" >> $env:GITHUB_PATH
+          "$env:pythonLocation\Scripts" >> $env:GITHUB_PATH
+          # Ensure python3 also points to the correct Python (pre-commit looks for python3)
+          if (-not (Test-Path "$env:pythonLocation\python3.exe")) {
+            Copy-Item "$env:pythonLocation\python.exe" "$env:pythonLocation\python3.exe"
+          }
 
       - name: Build and install package
         run: python -m pip install -e .[test]
@@ -180,6 +174,8 @@ jobs:
           CC: cl
           CXX: cl
           LOGLEVEL: DEBUG
+          # Use a fresh pre-commit cache to avoid Python version mismatch
+          PRE_COMMIT_HOME: ${{ runner.temp }}/pre-commit-cache
         run: ./tests/run_tests.ps1
 
   sonarcloud:
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 26d082f..9bb23bb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,8 +7,20 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+
+- Drop support for Python 3.8 and 3.9 (end-of-life)
+- Add support for Python 3.13
+- Minimum required Python version is now 3.10
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Fixed PowerShell system test script using `$?` instead of `$LASTEXITCODE` for exit code handling
+
 ### Repository
 
+- Fixed Windows CI by using pip to install cppcheck (Chocolatey package is broken)
+
 - Clarify where to put the settings in `pyproject.toml`
 - Update GitHub Action `actions/download-artifact` to v4
 - Update GitHub Action `actions/upload-artifact` to v4
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 2f5dc3b..833335d 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ authors = [
 ]
 description = 'pre-commit hooks for CMake-based projects'
 readme = 'README.md'
-requires-python = '>=3.8'
+requires-python = '>=3.10'
 keywords = [
 ]
 license = {text = 'Apache2'}
@@ -19,11 +19,10 @@ classifiers = [
      'License :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software License',
      'Programming Language :: Python :: 3',
      'Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: Only',
-     'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8',
-     'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9',
      'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10',
      'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11',
      'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12',
+     'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13',
 ]
 dependencies = [
     'toml',
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@ namespaces = false
 
 [tool.ruff]
 line-length = 120
-target-version = 'py38'
+target-version = 'py310'
 
 [tool.ruff.lint]
 
diff --git a/tests/run_tests.ps1 b/tests/run_tests.ps1
index 8769b10..f3a87bf 100644
--- a/tests/run_tests.ps1
+++ b/tests/run_tests.ps1
@@ -84,11 +84,11 @@ cp .pre-commit-win.yaml .pre-commit-win.yaml.bak
 git add *.txt *.cpp .pre-commit*.yaml
 git commit -m 'Initial commit'
 pre-commit run -c .pre-commit-win.yaml --all-files
-$ret=$?
+$ret=$LASTEXITCODE
 mv -Force .pre-commit-win.yaml.bak .pre-commit-win.yaml
 rm -Force -Recurse .git
-if ($ret -eq 0) {
-    echo "Pre-commit on tests/cmake_good failed!"
+if ($ret -ne 0) {
+    echo "Pre-commit on tests/cmake_good failed with exit code $ret!"
     Exit 1
 }
 cd ../..
@@ -102,10 +102,10 @@ cp .pre-commit-win.yaml .pre-commit-win.yaml.bak
 git add *.txt *.cpp .pre-commit*.yaml
 git commit -m 'Initial commit'
 pre-commit run -c .pre-commit-win.yaml --all-files
-$ret=$?
+$ret=$LASTEXITCODE
 mv -Force .pre-commit-win.yaml.bak .pre-commit-win.yaml
 rm -Force -Recurse .git
-if ($ret -eq 1) {
+if ($ret -eq 0) {
     echo "Pre-commit on tests/cmake_bad unexpectedly passed!"
     Exit 1
 }