CRITICAL: JSON object is undefined in ExtendScript on fresh AE 2024 (v25.3.2) Win 11 install

Hello,

I am experiencing a severe and persistent issue with my After Effects 2024 (v25.3.2) installation on Windows 11. The global JSON object is consistently undefined in ExtendScript, which prevents JSON.parse() from working.

This is a fresh, clean installation performed just two weeks ago, and this is the first time AE has been used since.

I have already tried the following troubleshooting steps:

• Ran a simple diagnostic script (typeof JSON, JSON.parse('{"key":"value"}')) - consistently reports JSON is undefined.

• Launched AE as Administrator - no change.

• Confirmed only Windows Defender is active; temporarily disabled it - no change.

• Performed a hyper-meticulous clean reinstallation of AE and Creative Cloud components (using Cleaner Tool option 16 - Clean All). The Cleaner Tool itself completed with errors ([Error 13] Access is denied, [Error 41] Directory not empty, etc. for various Adobe paths/files), suggesting locked files or deeper corruption. Even after this, JSON remains undefined.

My goal is to use JSON.parse() for data-driven animations. Since JSON should be standard in modern AE, I'm at a loss. Any assistance or insight into why this core functionality would be missing/undefined would be greatly appreciated."