How to launch JavaScripts is Windows 11

Question

I've been using Windows computers since their inception. Now, I've been working for some time trying to setup my first Windows 11 computer.

Something I've been using for decades now are fairly simple Javascripts (i.e., .js files) primarily to start application programs. For as long as I can remember there has been something called "Microsoft Windows Based Script Host" that I can pin to the task bar. It basically remembers what scripts I've previously run and maintains a list that can be popped up and used to run them again.

Problem is that this component seems to have gone missing. I hope this is a case like lots of others I've been dealing with where setup just became much more difficult and that once I figure out how to enable it this computer can perform simple functions consist with what I've been doing for decades. I am sorry to say it looks like I could use some help figuring out how to do that.

Answer 1

To launch JavaScripts (.js files) in Windows 11, you can use the Windows Script Host (WSH), which allows you to run scripts written in JScript and VBScript. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Create Your Script: Write your JavaScript code and save it with a .js extension. For example, you might have a file named script.js.
2. Using Windows Script Host: You can run your JavaScript file using the command prompt or by double-clicking the file. To run it from the command prompt:
   • Open the Command Prompt (you can search for "cmd" in the Start menu).
   • Navigate to the directory where your script is located using the cd command.
   • Type cscript script.js and press Enter. This will execute your script using the Windows Script Host.
3. Pinning to Taskbar: If you want to pin the script to your taskbar for easy access, you can create a shortcut to the script file and then pin that shortcut to the taskbar. To create a shortcut:
   • Right-click on your .js file and select "Create shortcut."
   • Then, right-click on the shortcut and select "Pin to taskbar."

If the Windows Script Host seems to be missing or not functioning, ensure that it is enabled in your system settings. It is typically included with Windows installations, but you may need to check for any updates or settings that might have disabled it.

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References:

• Using COM Objects in Windows Script Host
• Scripting with COM Objects

Answer 2

Hello,

When looking up windows based script host, all discussions post to wscript.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/wscript

Not sure if this is what you're looking for but it seems to be designed to run scripts, but only to check the script's output, not the history of script's previously run by the user.

Relating to this another forum poster suggested checking wscript within task manager.

Open Task Manager and go to Details tab. If a VBScript or JScript is running, the process wscript.exe or cscript.exe would appear in the list.

Right-click on the column header and enable "Command Line". This should tell you which script file is being executed.

Hope this helps,

JC

Answer 3

The so-called AI Generated response contained text as follows:

1. Pinning to Taskbar: If you want to pin the script to your taskbar for easy access, you can create a shortcut to the script file and then pin that shortcut to the taskbar. To create a shortcut:
   • Right-click on your .js file and select "Create shortcut."
   • Then, right-click on the shortcut and select "Pin to taskbar."

Not sure that is exactly what I want to do. In past Windows systems it was "Microsoft Windows Based Script Host" that was pinned to the task bar.

When I tried to follow above guidance, it turned out that when I right-clicked on the shortcut there was no selection available for pinning to anything. Not much help.

When I went to Settings>Optional Features>View or edit optional features, I found something listed called VBSCRIPT which I was able to select but apparently when I selected it that caused VBSCRIPT to be removed rather than added. Then when I tried to add it back it seemed to take forever and when I was checking it out I must have mistakenly clicked on the "Cancel" button. As a result, now when I view the history it says both VBSCRIPT was "Removed" and that VBSCRIPT "add canceled". Now when I look for VBSCRIPT on Optional Features it is nowhere to be found.

My conclusion is that it must now be gone and it was formerly present. I'd like to restore it to the state it was in before I started messing with it but given that it was present while experiencing this problem I am not hopeful that restoring it will fix the problem. Maybe just prevent another problem from arising.

In summary I now have 2 problems. First how to pin script to task bar. Second how to restore VBSCRIPT as optional feature.