diff --git a/msvc-tools.jam b/msvc-tools.jam
index 5c9ff55c5..646996188 100644
--- a/msvc-tools.jam
+++ b/msvc-tools.jam
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ if ! $(MSVCDir)
     # In case someone set VISUALC in order to build Jam, we can just use that.
     MSVC_ROOT ?= $(VISUALC) ;
     # Otherwise, guess a standard installation directory
-    MSVC_ROOT ?= "C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Visual Studio\\VC98" ;
+
+    ProgramFiles ?= $(PROGRAMFILES) ;
+    MSVC_ROOT ?= "$(ProgramFiles)\\Microsoft Visual Studio\\VC98" ;
     
     # Reconstitutes paths containing spaces
     MSVC_ROOT = $(MSVC_ROOT:J=" ") ;
diff --git a/v1/msvc-tools.jam b/v1/msvc-tools.jam
index 5c9ff55c5..646996188 100644
--- a/v1/msvc-tools.jam
+++ b/v1/msvc-tools.jam
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ if ! $(MSVCDir)
     # In case someone set VISUALC in order to build Jam, we can just use that.
     MSVC_ROOT ?= $(VISUALC) ;
     # Otherwise, guess a standard installation directory
-    MSVC_ROOT ?= "C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Visual Studio\\VC98" ;
+
+    ProgramFiles ?= $(PROGRAMFILES) ;
+    MSVC_ROOT ?= "$(ProgramFiles)\\Microsoft Visual Studio\\VC98" ;
     
     # Reconstitutes paths containing spaces
     MSVC_ROOT = $(MSVC_ROOT:J=" ") ;
diff --git a/v1/vc7-tools.jam b/v1/vc7-tools.jam
index d307793a5..368ed25e5 100644
--- a/v1/vc7-tools.jam
+++ b/v1/vc7-tools.jam
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ set-as-singleton VC7_ROOT ;
 
 if ! $(MSVCDir)
 {
-    VC7_ROOT ?= "C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET\\VC7" ;
+    ProgramFiles ?= $(PROGRAMFILES) ;
+    VC7_ROOT ?= "$(ProgramFiles)\\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET\\VC7" ;
     VC_TOOL_PATH = "$(VC7_ROOT)"\\bin\\ ;
     VC_SETUP = "CALL \"$(VC_TOOL_PATH)VCVARS32.BAT\" >nul" ;
 }
diff --git a/v1/vc7.1-tools.jam b/v1/vc7.1-tools.jam
index 79f1d7a1a..25025b3ed 100755
--- a/v1/vc7.1-tools.jam
+++ b/v1/vc7.1-tools.jam
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ set-as-singleton VC71_ROOT ;
 
 if ! $(MSVCDir)
 {
-    VC71_ROOT ?= "C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\\VC7" ;
+    ProgramFiles ?= $(PROGRAMFILES) ;
+    VC71_ROOT ?= "$(ProgramFiles)\\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\\VC7" ;
     VC_TOOL_PATH = "$(VC71_ROOT)"\\bin\\ ;
     VC_SETUP = "CALL \"$(VC_TOOL_PATH)VCVARS32.BAT\" >nul" ;
 }
diff --git a/vc7-tools.jam b/vc7-tools.jam
index d307793a5..368ed25e5 100644
--- a/vc7-tools.jam
+++ b/vc7-tools.jam
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ set-as-singleton VC7_ROOT ;
 
 if ! $(MSVCDir)
 {
-    VC7_ROOT ?= "C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET\\VC7" ;
+    ProgramFiles ?= $(PROGRAMFILES) ;
+    VC7_ROOT ?= "$(ProgramFiles)\\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET\\VC7" ;
     VC_TOOL_PATH = "$(VC7_ROOT)"\\bin\\ ;
     VC_SETUP = "CALL \"$(VC_TOOL_PATH)VCVARS32.BAT\" >nul" ;
 }
diff --git a/vc7.1-tools.jam b/vc7.1-tools.jam
index 79f1d7a1a..25025b3ed 100755
--- a/vc7.1-tools.jam
+++ b/vc7.1-tools.jam
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ set-as-singleton VC71_ROOT ;
 
 if ! $(MSVCDir)
 {
-    VC71_ROOT ?= "C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\\VC7" ;
+    ProgramFiles ?= $(PROGRAMFILES) ;
+    VC71_ROOT ?= "$(ProgramFiles)\\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\\VC7" ;
     VC_TOOL_PATH = "$(VC71_ROOT)"\\bin\\ ;
     VC_SETUP = "CALL \"$(VC_TOOL_PATH)VCVARS32.BAT\" >nul" ;
 }