.VBS File Extension
VBScript File
| Developer | Microsoft |
| Popularity |
3.7 | 115 Votes |
| Category | Executable Files |
| Format | Text |
What is a VBS file?
A VBS file is a Virtual Basic script written in the VBScript scripting language. It contains code that can be executed within Windows or Internet Explorer, via the Windows-based script host (Wscript.exe), to perform certain admin and processing functions.
Primarily, VBS files are used by:
- Windows system administrators, to automate certain admin processes
- Internet Explorer-only webpages, to perform certain functions that HTML alone cannot
- Microsoft’s Internet Information Services (IIS) web server, to perform server-side webpage processing
Are VBS files still used?
For the most part, no. Most Windows system administrators now use Windows PowerShell to perform processes they previously performed using VBScript and VBS files. Also, in August 2019, Microsoft announced they would disable VBScript support by default in Internet Explorer, which is the only web browser that ever supported VBScript. Microsoft recommended that developers update any webpages that use VBScript to use JavaScript instead.
NOTE: VBS files may also use the .VB file extension.
How to open a VBS file
You can open and edit VBS files using any text editor, such as Notepad++ (Windows), Apple TextEdit (Mac), or GitHub Atom.
Warning
VBS files are typically legitimate VB scripts, but they can also be used to distribute and execute malware attacks. To protect against malware attacks, do not double-click a VBS file you have downloaded or received via email unless you trust the file's source.