diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b48ef4c546f74..b83dfcf4ebf2a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 #===============================================================================
 # CMake settings
 #===============================================================================
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.6 FATAL_ERROR)
+if(MSVC)
+  cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.1.3)
+else()
+  cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.6)
+endif()
 
 # Use MACOSX_RPATH by default on OS X. This was added in CMake 2.8.12 and
 # became default in CMake 3.0. Explicitly setting this policy is necessary to
@@ -214,7 +218,7 @@ endif()
 
 # Boost
 set(DART_MIN_BOOST_VERSION 1.46.0 CACHE INTERNAL "Boost min version requirement" FORCE)
-if(MSVC OR MSVC90 OR MSVC10)
+if(MSVC)
   add_definitions(-DBOOST_ALL_NO_LIB)
 endif()
 add_definitions(-DBOOST_TEST_DYN_LINK)
@@ -467,8 +471,8 @@ endif()
 #===============================================================================
 if(MSVC)
   # Visual Studio enables c++11 support by default
-  if(NOT MSVC12)
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "${PROJECT_NAME} requires VS 2013 or greater.")
+  if(MSVC_VERSION VERSION_LESS 1800)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "${PROJECT_NAME} requires VS 2015 or greater.")
   endif()
   set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} /MP4")
   set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE "/LTCG /INCREMENTAL:NO")
diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index 38f6ebdbe3460..e33e34b9a07af 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ platform:
 # specify custom environment variables
 environment:
   MSVC_DEFAULT_OPTIONS: ON
-  BOOST_ROOT: C:\Libraries\boost
-  BOOST_LIBRARYDIR: C:\Libraries\boost\lib32-msvc-12.0
+  BOOST_ROOT: C:\Libraries\boost_1_59_0
+  BOOST_LIBRARYDIR: C:\Libraries\boost_1_59_0\lib32-msvc-14.0
   BUILD_EXAMPLES: OFF  # don't build examples to not exceed allowed build time (40 min)
   BUILD_TUTORIALS: OFF  # don't build tutorials to not exceed allowed build time (40 min)
   matrix:
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ before_build:
   - cmd: md build
   - cmd: cd build
   # We generate project files for Visual Studio 12 because the boost binaries installed on the test server are for Visual Studio 12.
-  - cmd: if "%platform%"=="Win32" set CMAKE_GENERATOR_NAME=Visual Studio 12
-  - cmd: if "%platform%"=="x64"   set CMAKE_GENERATOR_NAME=Visual Studio 12 Win64
+  - cmd: if "%platform%"=="Win32" set CMAKE_GENERATOR_NAME=Visual Studio 14 2015
+  - cmd: if "%platform%"=="x64"   set CMAKE_GENERATOR_NAME=Visual Studio 14 2015 Win64
   - cmd: cmake -G "%CMAKE_GENERATOR_NAME%" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=%configuration% -DBUILD_CORE_ONLY="%BUILD_CORE_ONLY%" -DDART_BUILD_EXAMPLES="%BUILD_EXAMPLES%" -DDART_BUILD_TUTORIALS="%BUILD_TUTORIALS%" -DBOOST_ROOT="%BOOST_ROOT%" -DBOOST_LIBRARYDIR="%BOOST_LIBRARYDIR%" -DBoost_USE_STATIC_LIBS="ON" -Durdfdom_DIR="%urdfdom_DIR%" -Durdfdom_headers_DIR="%urdfdom_headers_DIR%" -DDART_MSVC_DEFAULT_OPTIONS="%MSVC_DEFAULT_OPTIONS%" ..
 
 build:
diff --git a/ci/appveyor_install.ps1 b/ci/appveyor_install.ps1
index 03a1dc8f491bc..3a10c7517cd79 100755
--- a/ci/appveyor_install.ps1
+++ b/ci/appveyor_install.ps1
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ function InstallPrerequisites($work_dir, $install_dir)
   $old_dir = $pwd
   cd $work_dir
 
-  $msi = "dart-prerequisites.msi"
-  $uri = "https://github.com/dartsim/dart-prerequisites-windows/raw/3e34167fd29fcc870ebed50bf318f3f31f491e6a/DART%205.0-prerequisites-msvc12-md-32bit.msi"
+  $msi = "dart-dependencies.msi"
+  $uri = "https://github.com/dartsim/dart-prerequisites-windows-installers/raw/master/02/DART-dependencies-msvc14-md-32bit.msi"
   Invoke-WebRequest $uri -OutFile $msi
 
   $install_command = "msiexec.exe"