Node.js v22.12 Ends Immediately Without Any Output When Running a File on Windows

I recently upgraded Node.js on my Windows machine to version v22.12, and now any script I run from a file exits immediately without displaying any output. For example:

> node test.js
# (no output, program finishes instantly)

Here is a minimal example of test.js (though the content seems irrelevant; even a single console.log() fails to produce output):

console.log("Hello from Node.js");
setInterval(() => {
  console.log("Still running...");
}, 2000);

Key observations:

  1. If I run the same code inline using -e, it does work: 
    node -e "console.log('Hello from inline'); setInterval(() => {console.log('Still running inline...');}, 3000)"
  2. If I downgrade Node.js to v20.18, the file-based execution works as expected, producing output as normal.
  3. Before upgrading to 22.12, everything worked correctly on the same machine.
  4. After reverting to 20.18, it started working again without changing any other settings.

Question:

  • Was there a change in Node.js v22.12 that affects how scripts should be started on Windows?
  • Or could there be a specific configuration or security policy on my Windows PC that might cause this behavior?
  • Has anyone else encountered this issue or found a workaround?

For now, I’m okay staying on v20.18 since it resolves the problem, but I’d prefer to upgrade if there’s a known fix or setting adjustment. Any insights would be much appreciated!