6 replies to this topic

[bnhan]

I wonder if there is already support for VBScript in Windows 11 where Windows VBScript Feature is disabled. I seemed to get the error about the script engine not initialized.

[BigHein]

no problems here

[fhjui]

That's a very unhappy condition but I have read that since Windows 11 22H2, VBScript is being phased out by MS and may even be completely removed.

The error "Script engine not initialized" in Windows 11 with VBScript can have several causes.

• Check if VBScript is enabled
  Open Command Prompt (cmd) as Administrator and type "cscript //E:vbscript".
  Where "cscript" is the CLI scripting host, Parameter "//E:vbscript" means that the engine "vbscript" should be run.
  If you get an error message, VBScript might be disabled or removed.
• Enable VBScript in the Registry
  Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
  Navigate to the hive:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Script Host\Settings
  Check if there is a key named Enabled. If it exists: Double-click it and set the value to 1 (0 means disabled).
  If the key does not exist, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named Enabled and set it to 1.
  Close the Registry Editor and restart the PC.
• Now check if VBScript is installed, VBScript might be uninstalled. To enable it again:
  Open PowerShell as Administrator. Run the following command:
  dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:VBScript
  Restart the PC and check again

I am not explaining here how to make the changes via group policies, e.g. if the computer is member of a domain.

Edited by fhjui, 08 March 2025 - 09:18 AM.

[scutters]

Think we have until 2027 before MS start disabling VBScript by default.

 

For now it should still be shown in Start > Settings > System > Optional features unless you've removed it.

 

To restore it use 'Add an optional feature' on the same screen to find and then add VBSCRIPT (or use fhjui's powershell command above)... i guess we'll all have to do that in a couple of years.

[bnhan]

Thank you for the solutions. I am using Windows Insider Preview versions to learn how the future Windows would affect vbScript, such as ones that are currently supported by vpinball. Certain of these versions of Windows Preview really did not enable vbScript by default and couldn't set to be enabled using Optional Feature or PowerShell.

 

I still wonder if vpinball has any plan to support vbScript when MS would completely phrase out vbScript. I believe vpinball vbScript will still be supported in linux. Would it be hard to port vbScript engine or so the way it works in linux to Windows environment?   

Edited by bnhan, 17 March 2025 - 07:23 PM.

[scutters]

Thank you for the solutions. I am using Windows Insider Preview versions to learn how the future Windows would affect vbScript, such as ones that are currently supported by vpinball. Certain of these versions of Windows Preview really did not enable vbScript by default and couldn't set to be enabled using Optional Feature or PowerShell.

 

I still wonder if vpinball has any plan to support vbScript when MS would completely phrase out vbScript. I believe vpinball vbScript will still be supported in linux. Would it be hard to port vbScript engine or so the way it works in linux to Windows environment?   

 

See this thread - https://github.com/v...ball/issues/568

[burtmacklin62]

Hey there,

Yeah, VBScript is pretty much on its way out in Windows 11—Microsoft disabled it by default to push people toward more modern options like PowerShell. If you absolutely need it for an old script, you can turn it back on in Windows Features (just search for "Turn Windows features on or off" and check the VBScript box under Legacy Components). But honestly, it’s worth looking into alternatives at this point, since Microsoft could remove it completely down the road. PowerShell is way more powerful for automation, and there’s always JavaScript (JScript) if you need something lightweight. For legacy systems, a Windows 10 VM might be a safer bet than relying on a deprecated feature.

Hope that helps!