diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index 5d3d1a8ae5..d67272cf9a 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -3,11 +3,6 @@
 # This file was based on Olivier Grisel's python-appveyor-demo
 
 environment:
-  global:
-    # SDK v7.0 MSVC Express 2008's SetEnv.cmd script will fail if the
-    # /E:ON and /V:ON options are not enabled in the batch script intepreter
-    # See: http://stackoverflow.com/a/13751649/163740
-    CMD_IN_ENV: "cmd /E:ON /V:ON /C .\\appveyor\\run_with_env.cmd"
 
   matrix:
     - PYTHON: "C:\\Python27-conda32"
@@ -32,7 +27,9 @@ install:
     - "python -c \"import struct; print(struct.calcsize('P') * 8)\""
 
     # install depenencies
-    - "conda install --yes --quiet pip numpy scipy=0.16.0 pandas nose pytz ephem numba"
+    - "conda create -n test_env --yes python=%PYTHON_VERSION% pip numpy scipy=0.16.0 pandas nose pytz ephem numba"
+    - "activate test_env"
+    - "conda list"
 
     # install pvlib
     - "python setup.py install"
diff --git a/ci/install_python.ps1 b/ci/install_python.ps1
index b41eea5e53..71b913ef20 100644
--- a/ci/install_python.ps1
+++ b/ci/install_python.ps1
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ $BASE_URL = "https://www.python.org/ftp/python/"
 
 function DownloadMiniconda ($python_version, $platform_suffix) {
     $webclient = New-Object System.Net.WebClient
-    if ($python_version -eq "3.4") {
-        $filename = "Miniconda3-3.7.3-Windows-" + $platform_suffix + ".exe"
+    if ($python_version -like "3.*") {
+        $filename = "Miniconda3-latest-Windows-" + $platform_suffix + ".exe"
     } else {
-        $filename = "Miniconda-3.7.3-Windows-" + $platform_suffix + ".exe"
+        $filename = "Miniconda2-latest-Windows-" + $platform_suffix + ".exe"
     }
     $url = $MINICONDA_URL + $filename
 
@@ -90,4 +90,4 @@ function main () {
     InstallMinicondaPip $env:PYTHON
 }
 
-main
\ No newline at end of file
+main