diff --git a/Tools/windows/Tests/AccessibilityProvider.Native.Tests.ps1 b/Tools/windows/Tests/AccessibilityProvider.Native.Tests.ps1
index cb5d1a74..44aee238 100644
--- a/Tools/windows/Tests/AccessibilityProvider.Native.Tests.ps1
+++ b/Tools/windows/Tests/AccessibilityProvider.Native.Tests.ps1
@@ -23,21 +23,35 @@ try {
   $env:TMP = $scratch
   $installer = Join-Path ${env:ProgramFiles(x86)} "Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer"
   if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $installer) { $env:PATH = "$installer;$savedPath" }
-  Push-Location $scratch
-  try {
-    $test = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot "AccessibilityProvider.Native.Tests.cpp"
-    $provider = Join-Path $repoRoot "graphcode-windows\src\AccessibilityProvider.cpp"
-    $command = 'call "' + $VcVars + '" >nul && cl /nologo /EHsc /std:c++17 ' +
-      '/Fe:uia-native.exe "' + $test + '" "' + $provider + '" ' +
-      'oleaut32.lib uiautomationcore.lib user32.lib && .\uia-native.exe'
-    & $env:ComSpec /d /s /c $command
-    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "Native accessibility provider tests failed: $LASTEXITCODE" }
-  } finally {
-    Pop-Location
-  }
+  $test = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot "AccessibilityProvider.Native.Tests.cpp"
+  $provider = Join-Path $repoRoot "graphcode-windows\src\AccessibilityProvider.cpp"
+  # Change directory inside cmd only: a Push-Location here becomes this process's
+  # working directory at the native call and then locks the scratch folder.
+  # vcvars can exit non-zero when an optional extension (for example the Linux
+  # ConnectionManager) is absent even though the MSVC environment is usable, so
+  # require a resolvable cl instead of trusting its exit code.
+  $command = 'cd /d "' + $scratch + '" && call "' + $VcVars + '" >nul 2>&1 & ' +
+    'where cl >nul 2>&1 && cl /nologo /EHsc /std:c++17 ' +
+    '/Fe:uia-native.exe "' + $test + '" "' + $provider + '" ' +
+    'oleaut32.lib uiautomationcore.lib user32.lib && .\uia-native.exe'
+  & $env:ComSpec /d /s /c $command
+  if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "Native accessibility provider tests failed: $LASTEXITCODE" }
 } finally {
   $env:TEMP = $savedTemp
   $env:TMP = $savedTmp
   $env:PATH = $savedPath
-  Remove-Item -LiteralPath $scratch -Recurse -Force
+  # The just-built test executable and compiler outputs can stay locked briefly
+  # (for example by an antivirus scan) after the process exits. Cleanup must not
+  # turn a passing run into a failure, so retry and then only warn.
+  for ($attempt = 1; Test-Path -LiteralPath $scratch; $attempt++) {
+    try {
+      Remove-Item -LiteralPath $scratch -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction Stop
+    } catch {
+      if ($attempt -ge 10) {
+        Write-Warning "Native accessibility test scratch was not removed: $scratch ($($_.Exception.Message))"
+        break
+      }
+      Start-Sleep -Milliseconds 500
+    }
+  }
 }