diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-test-windows.yml b/.github/workflows/python-test-windows.yml
index 26fd582c..448bbf5b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-test-windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-test-windows.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ env:
   PYTHON_LIBRARY_DIR: $Env:CONDA\Lib\site-packages
   PYTHON_EXECUTABLE: $Env:CONDA\python.exe
   BUILD_TYPE: Release
-  DEPENDENCY_DIR: ${{github.workspace}}\..\deps
+  DEPENDENCY_DIR: $Env:HOME\github-deps
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref_name }}
@@ -35,43 +35,42 @@ jobs:
         id: cache-github
         uses: actions/cache@v4
         with:
-          path: ${{ env.DEPENDENCY_DIR }}
+          path: $DEPENDENCY_DIR
           key: ${{runner.os}}-github-deps
       - name: create dependency dir
         if: steps.cache-github.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
         run: mkdir ${{ env.DEPENDENCY_DIR }}
       - name: download eigen
+        working-directory: $DEPENDENCY_DIR
         if: steps.cache-github.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
         run: |
-          cd ${{ env.DEPENDENCY_DIR }}
           git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/libigl/eigen.git
-          echo "${{ env.DEPENDENCY_DIR }}\eigen" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "$DEPENDENCY_DIR\eigen" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
       - name: install nlopt
+        working-directory: $DEPENDENCY_DIR
         if: steps.cache-github.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
         run: |
-          cd ${{ env.DEPENDENCY_DIR }}
           git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/stevengj/nlopt.git
           cd nlopt
           mkdir build
           cd build
           cmake ..
           cmake --build . --config Release
-          echo "NLOPT_DIR=${{ env.DEPENDENCY_DIR }}\nlopt\src\api;${{ env.DEPENDENCY_DIR }}\nlopt\build\Release;${{ env.DEPENDENCY_DIR }}\nlopt\build" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "NLOPT_DIR=$DEPENDENCY_DIR\nlopt\src\api;$DEPENDENCY_DIR\nlopt\build\Release;$DEPENDENCY_DIR\nlopt\build" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
       - name: install gsl
+        working-directory: $DEPENDENCY_DIR
         if: steps.cache-github.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
         run: |
-          cd ${{ env.DEPENDENCY_DIR }}
           git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ampl/gsl.git
           cd gsl
           mkdir build
           cd build
           cmake .. -DNO_AMPL_BINDINGS=1
           cmake --build . --config Release
-          echo "GSL_DIR=${{ env.DEPENDENCY_DIR }}\gsl\build\Release;${{ env.DEPENDENCY_DIR }}\gsl\build" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "GSL_DIR=$DEPENDENCY_DIR\gsl\build\Release;$DEPENDENCY_DIR\gsl\build" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
       - name: build bmds with cmake
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
-          cd ${{github.workspace}}
           mkdir build
           cd build
           cmake ..