diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/detection/path.py b/lib/spack/spack/detection/path.py
index f96a0276a35..00da8d639a3 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/detection/path.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/detection/path.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import collections
 import concurrent.futures
 import os
+import pathlib
 import re
 import sys
 import traceback
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@
 
 import llnl.util.filesystem
 import llnl.util.lang
+import llnl.util.symlink
 import llnl.util.tty
 
 import spack.error
@@ -70,13 +72,21 @@ def dedupe_paths(paths: List[str]) -> List[str]:
     """Deduplicate paths based on inode and device number. In case the list contains first a
     symlink and then the directory it points to, the symlink is replaced with the directory path.
     This ensures that we pick for example ``/usr/bin`` over ``/bin`` if the latter is a symlink to
-    the former`."""
+    the former."""
     seen: Dict[Tuple[int, int], str] = {}
+
+    linked_parent_check = lambda x: any(
+        [llnl.util.symlink.islink(str(y)) for y in pathlib.Path(x).parents]
+    )
+
     for path in paths:
         identifier = file_identifier(path)
         if identifier not in seen:
             seen[identifier] = path
-        elif not os.path.islink(path):
+        # we also want to deprioritize paths if they contain a symlink in any parent
+        # (not just the basedir): e.g. oneapi has "latest/bin",
+        # where "latest" is a symlink to 2025.0"
+        elif not (llnl.util.symlink.islink(path) or linked_parent_check(path)):
             seen[identifier] = path
     return list(seen.values())
 
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/msvc/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/msvc/package.py
index ec365721b1e..347e969e236 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/msvc/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/msvc/package.py
@@ -6,6 +6,17 @@
 import spack.compiler
 from spack.package import *
 
+FC_PATH: Dict[str, str] = dict()
+
+
+def get_latest_valid_fortran_pth():
+    """Assign maximum available fortran compiler version"""
+    # TODO (johnwparent): validate compatibility w/ try compiler
+    # functionality when added
+    sort_fn = lambda fc_ver: Version(fc_ver)
+    sort_fc_ver = sorted(list(FC_PATH.keys()), key=sort_fn)
+    return FC_PATH[sort_fc_ver[-1]] if sort_fc_ver else None
+
 
 class Msvc(Package, CompilerPackage):
     """
@@ -20,9 +31,11 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
             "detected on a system where they are externally installed"
         )
 
-    compiler_languages = ["c", "cxx"]
+    compiler_languages = ["c", "cxx", "fortran"]
     c_names = ["cl"]
     cxx_names = ["cl"]
+    fortran_names = ["ifx", "ifort"]
+
     compiler_version_argument = ""
     compiler_version_regex = r"([1-9][0-9]*\.[0-9]*\.[0-9]*)"
 
@@ -30,11 +43,14 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
     def determine_version(cls, exe):
         # MSVC compiler does not have a proper version argument
         # Errors out and prints version info with no args
+        is_ifx = "ifx.exe" in str(exe)
         match = re.search(
             cls.compiler_version_regex,
             spack.compiler.get_compiler_version_output(exe, version_arg=None, ignore_errors=True),
         )
         if match:
+            if is_ifx:
+                FC_PATH[match.group(1)] = str(exe)
             return match.group(1)
 
     @classmethod
@@ -42,6 +58,16 @@ def determine_variants(cls, exes, version_str):
         # MSVC uses same executable for both languages
         spec, extras = super().determine_variants(exes, version_str)
         extras["compilers"]["c"] = extras["compilers"]["cxx"]
+        # This depends on oneapi being processed before msvc
+        # which is guarunteed from detection behavior.
+        # Processing oneAPI tracks oneAPI installations within
+        # this module, which are then used to populate compatible
+        # MSVC version's fortran compiler spots
+
+        # TODO: remove this once #45189 lands
+        # TODO: interrogate intel and msvc for compatibility after
+        # #45189 lands
+        extras["compilers"]["fortran"] = get_latest_valid_fortran_pth()
         return spec, extras
 
     @property