In October 2023, Microsoft announced that future versions of Windows would no longer support the legacy VBScript language. However, there was no timeline revealed for when this would actually happen. Today, the company offered a partial timeline for when VBScript support will be removed from Windows.
In a blog post, Microsoft stated that starting with the release of the Windows 11 24H2 update later this year, support for VBScript will be available as one of its features on demand (FODs). However, FODs, including VBScript, will still be preinstalled on Windows 11 24H2 and will be turned on by default in the OS. Microsoft says:
This helps ensure your experiences are not disrupted if you have a dependency on VBScript while you migrate your dependencies (applications, processes, and the like) away from VBScript.
The second phase of VBScript"s depreciation from Windows will happen sometime in 2027. In that year, the FODs will no longer be enabled by default in that year"s version of Windows. Developers will still be able to enable the FODs in that future Windows version if they still need time to update their apps. Microsoft did not offer a specific date in 2027 for when this will happen.
Finally, at some point beyond 2027. VBScript will be completely removed from a future version of Windows. Microsoft stated:
This means all the dynamic link libraries (.dll files) of VBScript will be removed. As a result, projects that rely on VBScript will stop functioning. By then, we expect that you’ll have switched to suggested alternatives.
Again, Microsoft did not reveal a specific year or date for when that will occur. The company is certainly giving developers a lot of time to update their apps to other languages before it completely ends VBScript support. It recommends those developers migrate their apps to PowerShell or JavaScript languages.