diff --git a/Modules/CMakeDetermineCCompiler.cmake b/Modules/CMakeDetermineCCompiler.cmake
index a14dd04908..30d0d47feb 100644
--- a/Modules/CMakeDetermineCCompiler.cmake
+++ b/Modules/CMakeDetermineCCompiler.cmake
@@ -45,6 +45,12 @@ IF(NOT CMAKE_RANLIB)
 ENDIF(NOT CMAKE_RANLIB)
 MARK_AS_ADVANCED(CMAKE_RANLIB)
 
+# do not test for GNU if the generator is visual studio
+IF(${CMAKE_GENERATOR} MATCHES "Visual Studio")
+  SET(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC_RUN 1)
+ENDIF(${CMAKE_GENERATOR} MATCHES "Visual Studio") 
+
+
 IF(NOT CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC_RUN)
   # test to see if the c compiler is gnu
   
diff --git a/Modules/CMakeDetermineCXXCompiler.cmake b/Modules/CMakeDetermineCXXCompiler.cmake
index 3718f5fdf2..465822933f 100644
--- a/Modules/CMakeDetermineCXXCompiler.cmake
+++ b/Modules/CMakeDetermineCXXCompiler.cmake
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ IF(NOT CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER)
 ENDIF(NOT CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER)
 MARK_AS_ADVANCED(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER)
 
+# do not test for GNU if the generator is visual studio
+IF(${CMAKE_GENERATOR} MATCHES "Visual Studio")
+  SET(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX_RUN 1)
+ENDIF(${CMAKE_GENERATOR} MATCHES "Visual Studio")
+
 IF(NOT CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX_RUN)
   # test to see if the cxx compiler is gnu
   SET(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX_RUN 1)
diff --git a/Modules/CMakeDetermineFortranCompiler.cmake b/Modules/CMakeDetermineFortranCompiler.cmake
index c86066bad4..cff5ba4d1a 100644
--- a/Modules/CMakeDetermineFortranCompiler.cmake
+++ b/Modules/CMakeDetermineFortranCompiler.cmake
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@ IF(NOT CMAKE_RANLIB)
 ENDIF(NOT CMAKE_RANLIB)
 MARK_AS_ADVANCED(CMAKE_RANLIB)
 
+# do not test for GNU if the generator is visual studio
+IF(${CMAKE_GENERATOR} MATCHES "Visual Studio")
+  SET(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUG77_RUN 1)
+ENDIF(${CMAKE_GENERATOR} MATCHES "Visual Studio") 
+
 IF(NOT CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUG77_RUN)
   # test to see if the Fortran compiler is gnu