Logged In: YES 
user_id=21627

Can you please try the following things?

1. Run the script

========== SNIP ============
Function CheckDir()
      Set FSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
      if FSO.FolderExists("c:\python24") then
        wscript.echo "1"
      else
        wscript.echo "0"
      end if
End Function

CheckDir()
============= SNIP ==============

in wscript.exe (i.e. save it into c:\x.vbs, then run c:\x.vbs)

2. Report the version of

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\wscript.exe

(5.6 is too imprecise - could it be that you have 5.6.0.8820?)

3. Install VBScript, from

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=C717D943
-7E4B-4622-86EB-95A22B832CAA&displaylang=en