Extract text from WS files
To convert your WS file to another format, you need Windows Script Host or other Developer software.
To convert other file formats to the "Script Source Code" file type, you need software like Windows Script Host or a similar tool.
The .ws file extension is a versatile container primarily serving as a Windows Script file or a game script for titles like The Witcher 3. While technically distinct, both formats are fundamentally text-based code that users often struggle to manage. Windows Script files function similarly to BAT or VBS files, executing commands directly on the operating system, which frequently leads to them being flagged by email servers and antivirus software as potential security threats. Conversely, Witcher scripts generally contain UTF-16 encoded logic used by modders to alter gameplay mechanics, readable only with advanced text editors or the REDkit tools.
Beyond scripting, this extension is used for workspace configurations in software like IBM Personal Communications (terminal emulation) and Magnet AXIOM (digital forensics). The primary difficulty for users is opacity: you cannot double-click these files to safely see what is inside without risking execution or encountering a "program not found" error.
To safely inspect the contents without running potentially malicious code, or to edit game mods, the best workflow is converting .ws to TXT. This reveals the underlying code (whether it's XML, JScript, or VBScript) in a safe, inert format. For documentation purposes, converting to PDF preserves the syntax formatting. If you are migrating legacy automation tasks, you might look to convert these scripts to modern PowerShell (PS1) workflows.
Convert.Guru analyzes your WS file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted WWS, STORE, DOCX, CTS, CST, PDF, MESH, BIN, ZIP, TXT, JPG, PKPASS and ENC files.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our WS converter.