Lag and wscript.exe

[Thomas Jordan]

I rarely get lag, but when I do, I notice that wscript.exe is running as a background process.

Wscript.exe is a component of Microsoft Visual Basic (VB) Script, and is apparently loaded by some websites that use VB Script instead of java script. When it's running, it can bring my PC to a complete standstill (if java is also loaded and running, like for this game, at the same time).

I'm running XP Pro, and play Nod in Firefox 10.0.2.

If you start getting a lot of lag, particularly if you have been surfing the web since loading Nod, try killing the wscript.exe process. I've found it can be safely stopped without any negative effects to anything else.

Here's how to stop it on an XP Pro system. The process is probably similar on other Windows systems:

1. Press <CTRL> <ALT> <Delete> to open up Windows Task Manager.
2. Go to the Processes Tab.
3. Double click on the CPU column title to sort the background processes by how much CPU time they are taking.
4. If wscript.exe is running, it will be at or near the top.
5. Click on wscript.exe and then click <End Process>.
6. Wait a few seconds, maybe as many as 15, and wscript.exe should drop off the list of running background processes.
7. Nod should stop lagging.

This works for me most of the time if Nod starts lagging. Your results may be different.

And for what's it worth, I found wscript.exe in the Windows32 System folder. I renamed it to wscript.old and that didn't stop it from starting up. So it appears to be loading from a call to some dynamic link library.

I'm sure some smart computer person can tell us why wscript.exe is essential, and stopping it is not a good idea. Perhaps that is true for some applications. When all I'm doing is playing Nod and running Word 2007, stopping it is a good thing that solves all my Nod problems.

[Glitchless]

Nod certainly does not use that program. I would consider taking steps to remove it completely if it causes you problems.

[concede]

Wscript.exe is used commonly for malware....since its fluent and versatile some will use it to initiate the script

I wouldn't remove it unless this is the case...you can simply locate it where tj said and chagne permission to disable it

[concede]

its been a default windows script since Windows 98. It is non essential so you could remove it but there is a minor chance it could cause issues with the registry when running certain programs, very unlikely though.

It is not a security risk itself. It is a scripting source used to initiate some malware since it is a default on any windows system that comes out.