diff --git a/.github/copilot-instructions.md b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
index 110eb46ed..2df97c55d 100644
--- a/.github/copilot-instructions.md
+++ b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ Scripts under `Build\` (PowerShell under `Build\scripts\`):
 
 - `Build\Build_x64.cmd [Release|Debug]` — single platform (also `_Win32`, `_ARM64`, `_x64_AVX2`)
 - `Build\BuildAll.cmd` — all four platforms
-- `msbuild Notepad3.sln /m /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=x64` — CI equivalent
 - `Build\Clean.cmd` — clean outputs
 - `nuget restore` once before first build
 - `Version.ps1` regenerates `src\VersionEx.h` (`Major.YY.Mdd.Build`, build number in `Versions\build.txt`)
@@ -16,6 +15,20 @@ Scripts under `Build\` (PowerShell under `Build\scripts\`):
 
 Default config is Release.
 
+### Invoking MSBuild from PowerShell
+
+`msbuild` is **not** on the PATH in PowerShell. Do **not** call it directly — it will fail with "not recognized". Locate it via `vswhere.exe` first:
+
+```powershell
+$msbuild = & "${env:ProgramFiles(x86)}\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer\vswhere.exe" `
+    -latest -requires Microsoft.Component.MSBuild `
+    -find MSBuild\**\Bin\MSBuild.exe | Select-Object -First 1
+& $msbuild Notepad3.sln /m /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=x64 /nologo /v:minimal
+Write-Host "Exit code: $LASTEXITCODE"
+```
+
+Check `$LASTEXITCODE` (0 = success) and scan the last output lines for `-> Notepad3.exe` or `error C` entries. The verbose output is long — use `Select-String` or tail filtering rather than reading it all.
+
 ## Core Modules (`src\`)
 
 - `Notepad3.c/h` — `wWinMain`, `MainWndProc`, global state structs (`Globals`, `Settings`, `Settings2`, `Flags`, `Paths`), `MsgCommand()` dispatcher with static sub-handlers (`_HandleFileCommands`, `_HandleEditBasicCommands`, `_HandleViewAndSettingsCommands`, etc.).
diff --git a/src/Config/Config.cpp b/src/Config/Config.cpp
index 1795d232e..ed6d41428 100644
--- a/src/Config/Config.cpp
+++ b/src/Config/Config.cpp
@@ -2848,7 +2848,7 @@ bool MRU_Load(LPMRULIST pmru, bool bFileProps)
             for (int i = 0; i < pmru->iSize; ++i) {
                 WCHAR tchName[32] = { L'\0' };
                 StringCchPrintf(tchName, COUNTOF(tchName), L"%.2i", i + 1);
-                WCHAR tchItem[2048] = { L'\0' };
+                WCHAR tchItem[MRU_FNDRPL_ITEM_LEN] = { L'\0' };
                 if (IniSectionGetString(RegKey_Section, tchName, L"", tchItem, COUNTOF(tchItem))) {
                     size_t const len = StringCchLen(tchItem, 0);
                     if ((len > 1) && (tchItem[0] == L'"') && (tchItem[len - 1] == L'"')) {
@@ -2890,7 +2890,7 @@ void MRU_Save(LPMRULIST pmru)
         if (OpenSettingsFile(__func__)) {
 
             WCHAR tchName[32] = { L'\0' };
-            WCHAR tchItem[2048] = { L'\0' };
+            WCHAR tchItem[MRU_FNDRPL_ITEM_LEN] = { L'\0' };
 
             const WCHAR* const RegKey_Section = pmru->szRegKey;
             IniSectionClear(pmru->szRegKey, false);
diff --git a/src/Edit.c b/src/Edit.c
index b1d131aea..77e738e80 100644
--- a/src/Edit.c
+++ b/src/Edit.c
@@ -6241,7 +6241,7 @@ static LPCWSTR _EditGetFindStrg(HWND hwnd, const LPEDITFINDREPLACE lpefr, bool b
     }
 
     static HSTRINGW hfind = NULL;
-    // TODO: get rid of const FNDRPL_BUFFER size and StrgDestroy(hfind);
+    // TODO: StrgDestroy(hfind);
 
     if (!hfind) {
         hfind = StrgCreate(NULL);
@@ -6279,7 +6279,10 @@ static LPCWSTR _EditGetFindStrg(HWND hwnd, const LPEDITFINDREPLACE lpefr, bool b
     SetFindPattern(StrgGet(hfind));
 
     if (lpefr->bWildcardSearch) {
-        LPWSTR const buf = StrgWriteAccessBuf(hfind, FNDRPL_BUFFER);
+        // _EscapeWildcards can expand each char to two (e.g. '|' -> '\|', '*' -> '.*'),
+        // so ensure the buffer holds at least 2× the current content length.
+        size_t const expandCap = (StrgGetLength(hfind) * 2) + 2;
+        LPWSTR const buf = StrgWriteAccessBuf(hfind, max(expandCap, (size_t)FNDRPL_BUFFER));
         _EscapeWildcards(buf, StrgGetAllocLength(hfind), lpefr);
         StrgSanitize(hfind);
     }
@@ -6476,38 +6479,6 @@ static void  _DelayMarkAll(int delay)
 static bool s_SaveMarkOccurrences = false;
 static bool s_SaveMarkMatchVisible = false;
 
-//=============================================================================
-//
-//  EditBoxForPasteFixes()
-//
-static LRESULT CALLBACK EditBoxForPasteFixes(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam,
-                                             UINT_PTR uIdSubclass, DWORD_PTR dwRefData)
-{
-    WCHAR* const s_wchBuffer = (WCHAR*)dwRefData;
-
-    if (s_wchBuffer) {
-        switch (uMsg) {
-        case WM_PASTE: {
-            EditGetClipboardW(s_wchBuffer, FNDRPL_BUFFER);
-            SendMessage(hwnd, EM_REPLACESEL, (WPARAM)TRUE, (LPARAM)s_wchBuffer);
-        }
-        return TRUE;
-
-        //case WM_LBUTTONDOWN:
-        //  SendMessage(hwnd, EM_REPLACESEL, (WPARAM)TRUE, (LPARAM)L"X");
-        //  return TRUE;
-
-        case WM_NCDESTROY:
-            RemoveWindowSubclass(hwnd, EditBoxForPasteFixes, uIdSubclass);
-            break;
-
-        default:
-            break;
-        }
-    }
-    return DefSubclassProc(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
-}
-
 
 //=============================================================================
 //
@@ -6643,7 +6614,6 @@ static INT_PTR CALLBACK EditFindReplaceDlgProc(HWND hwnd, UINT umsg, WPARAM wPar
         COMBOBOXINFO cbInfoF = { sizeof(COMBOBOXINFO) };
         GetComboBoxInfo(GetDlgItem(hwnd, IDC_FINDTEXT), &cbInfoF);
         if (cbInfoF.hwndItem) {
-            SetWindowSubclass(cbInfoF.hwndItem, EditBoxForPasteFixes, 0, (DWORD_PTR) &(s_wchBufOut[0]));
             SHAutoComplete(cbInfoF.hwndItem, SHACF_FILESYS_ONLY | SHACF_AUTOAPPEND_FORCE_OFF | SHACF_AUTOSUGGEST_FORCE_OFF);
         }
 
@@ -6661,7 +6631,6 @@ static INT_PTR CALLBACK EditFindReplaceDlgProc(HWND hwnd, UINT umsg, WPARAM wPar
             COMBOBOXINFO cbInfoR = { sizeof(COMBOBOXINFO) };
             GetComboBoxInfo(GetDlgItem(hwnd, IDC_REPLACETEXT), &cbInfoR);
             if (cbInfoR.hwndItem) {
-                SetWindowSubclass(cbInfoR.hwndItem, EditBoxForPasteFixes, 0, (DWORD_PTR) &(s_wchBufOut[0]));
                 SHAutoComplete(cbInfoR.hwndItem, SHACF_FILESYS_ONLY | SHACF_AUTOAPPEND_FORCE_OFF | SHACF_AUTOSUGGEST_FORCE_OFF);
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/TypeDefs.h b/src/TypeDefs.h
index 06a4796cf..e89e0448d 100644
--- a/src/TypeDefs.h
+++ b/src/TypeDefs.h
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ typedef enum BUFFER_SIZES {
     ANSI_CHAR_BUFFER = 258,
     STYLE_EXTENSIONS_BUFFER = 512,
     EXTENSIONS_FILTER_BUFFER = (STYLE_EXTENSIONS_BUFFER << 1),
-    FNDRPL_BUFFER = 4096, // TODO: eliminate limit
+    FNDRPL_BUFFER = 4096,
     LONG_LINES_MARKER_LIMIT = 8192,
     CMDLN_LENGTH_LIMIT = 8192
 
@@ -327,6 +327,8 @@ typedef const EDITFINDREPLACE* const CLPCEDITFINDREPLACE;
 #define MRU_NOCASE       1
 #define MRU_UTF8         2
 #define MRU_BMRK_SIZE  512
+// INI line buffer for find/replace MRU items: pattern + surrounding quotes + NUL + spare
+#define MRU_FNDRPL_ITEM_LEN  (FNDRPL_BUFFER + 4)
 
 typedef struct MRULIST {