Solved Microsoft is killing this 25-year-old Windows tool. Your scripts might break


Borg 386

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Windows 11 preview update KB5120998 removes WMIC, a command-line tool used since Windows XP for admin and automation tasks.

With the latest Windows 11 preview update (KB5120998), Microsoft is finally bidding farewell to a tool that has been part of the operating system since Windows XP: the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC). It’s being removed from Windows 11 in an upcoming patch, and it’ll affect both Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2.

 

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Win 11 Pro, Win 10 pro, Win 13.7 Pro Chinese Ver12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-12900 2.40 GHz64.0 GB of transcendental dimensional RAMNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
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Win 11 Pro, Win 10 pro, Win 13.7 Pro Chinese Ver
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It's a Dell Dude
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12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-12900 2.40 GHz
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Father is bored too...
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64.0 GB of transcendental dimensional RAM
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
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Fuzzy after a couple drinks
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2 or 3, depending on if it's a night they're arguing about having a "split personality crisis" because I partitioned the drive.
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Shockingly active
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Don't get on my case....man
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Scotch on the rocks on the weekends.
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Steel Series Lighted Glow in the dark something or another
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Currently being stalked by the cat...
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DSL
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Defeated by Mario...wait...OH...BRowser...
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Yep
By removing is making it optional or not available at all? Usually Winaero comes with some trick to "retro-fit" old tools in Windows 11. Just check his website and he might upload one sometime later.
 

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    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (5699), 25H2 (9168)Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz4GBMobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (5699), 25H2 (9168)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
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    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
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    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
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    802.11g wireless 54 Mbps
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    MICROSOFT EDGE
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    WINDOWS DEFENDER
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    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, no SSE4.2, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro v25H2 (build 26200.9168)Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generat...2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE OC V2 6GB...
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v25H2 (build 26200.9168)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE OC V2 6GB (GV-N3050WF2OCV2-6GD)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WD Blue SA510 2.5 1000GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
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    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
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    Deepcool Gamma Archer CPU cooler, 1x 8cm fan at the back
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    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Mouse
    Microsoft Compact Optical Mouse
    Internet Speed
    802.11ac 5GHz wireless 260Mpbs
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4

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    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.9168i9-10900 10 core 20 threads32 gbnone-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.9168
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2x1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+2tb Kingston m2.nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
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    Dell Premium
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    Logitech wired
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    Logitech wireless
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    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.9168AMD Ryzen 7 6800U32 gbintegrated
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.9168
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC SER5
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics card(s)
    integrated
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    integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Crucial nvme
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    still too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
  • System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.9168

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    Windows 11 ProIntel Core i9 14900K 5800/4500 P/E96GB (2x48) G.skill Ripjaws 6800Asus ROG Strix 4070 Ti OC
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    DIY Photoshop/Audio/Game/tinker
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    Intel Core i9 14900K 5800/4500 P/E
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    96GB (2x48) G.skill Ripjaws 6800
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    Spinners: Sabrent USB-C DS-SC5B 5-bay docking station, 6TB WDC Black, 6TB Ironwolf Pro 2x 2TB WDC Black
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Has been disabled by default since January 2024.

Removing it is a good step as you can just use Powershell.
 

My Computer My Computer

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Windows 11 Pro
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Glad I wasn't smart enough to use this tool
 

My Computer My Computer

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Windows 11 2H25AMD 9900X64 GBAMD 9070 XT
OS
Windows 11 2H25
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
DIY
CPU
AMD 9900X
Motherboard
MSI X870E Carbon
Memory
64 GB
Graphics Card(s)
AMD 9070 XT
Sound Card
built-in
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell 24"
Hard Drives
Sabrent 1 TB NVMe, 4 x SSD (need to check models), 4 x 3.5" HDD, 8-16 TB, all WD
PSU
Seasonic 850
Case
Fractal Design North XL (which I likw)
Cooling
Corsair AIO for CPU, fans for case
Keyboard
Das Keyboard 4
Mouse
Corsair M65 (white)
Internet Speed
1 TB download
Browser
Firefox
Antivirus
Bitdefender
Other Info
Also have Lenovo T14S laptop (me) and Lenovo Slim 71 (wife)
That's a strong reason not to install this update and all newer that bundle it.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
He means any newer that also removes this feature. You cannot avoid updating forever but you can pause Windows Update until Winaero or someone else finds a workaround.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (5699), 25H2 (9168)Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz4GBMobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (5699), 25H2 (9168)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    802.11g wireless 54 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, no SSE4.2, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro v25H2 (build 26200.9168)Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generat...2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE OC V2 6GB...
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v25H2 (build 26200.9168)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE OC V2 6GB (GV-N3050WF2OCV2-6GD)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WD Blue SA510 2.5 1000GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Deepcool Gamma Archer CPU cooler, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Mouse
    Microsoft Compact Optical Mouse
    Internet Speed
    802.11ac 5GHz wireless 260Mpbs
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
If you need vivetool or other things to enable / disable Windows features then your system IMHO alrady has problems. Any "enablement" of Windows features should be able to be done from entirely within Windows itself.

Cheers
jimbo
 

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Windows XP,11 Linux Fedora Rawhide pre-release 46
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CPU
2 X Intel i7
Screen Resolution
4KUHD X 2
He means any newer that also removes this feature. You cannot avoid updating forever but you can pause Windows Update until Winaero or someone else finds a workaround.

The replacement is Powershell and people just need to learn how to use it.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Unless you're personally running WMIC commands (by hand), you're not going to miss it. WMIC.exe is gone, but the underlying WMI API is still there for PowerShell and any compiled executable to access.

Where you're going to be in trouble is legacy installer scripts, but usually they're written in batch. The good thing is batch files are easier to track down the WMIC commands inside them and have someone tell you how to replace those lines with an equivalent PowerShell one-line command.
 

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Windows 7
OS
Windows 7
The replacement is Powershell and people just need to learn how to use it.
I don't have the time to learn PS and it has never been part of any job in product management. But now I subscribe to Claude AI ($20/month) and Claude knows PS very well. Issue sometimes is when Claude wants to use one of the Office com objects. They can be tricky and Claude needs to revise its original approach

EDIT: updated 21 August, 1:42 pm Pacific Time, GMT-8
 
Last edited:

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 2H25AMD 9900X64 GBAMD 9070 XT
OS
Windows 11 2H25
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
DIY
CPU
AMD 9900X
Motherboard
MSI X870E Carbon
Memory
64 GB
Graphics Card(s)
AMD 9070 XT
Sound Card
built-in
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell 24"
Hard Drives
Sabrent 1 TB NVMe, 4 x SSD (need to check models), 4 x 3.5" HDD, 8-16 TB, all WD
PSU
Seasonic 850
Case
Fractal Design North XL (which I likw)
Cooling
Corsair AIO for CPU, fans for case
Keyboard
Das Keyboard 4
Mouse
Corsair M65 (white)
Internet Speed
1 TB download
Browser
Firefox
Antivirus
Bitdefender
Other Info
Also have Lenovo T14S laptop (me) and Lenovo Slim 71 (wife)

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ16 GB solderedIntegrated Intel Iris XE
OS
Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
ASUS Zenbook 14
CPU
I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
Motherboard
Yep, Laptop has one.
Memory
16 GB soldered
Graphics Card(s)
Integrated Intel Iris XE
Sound Card
Realtek built in
Monitor(s) Displays
laptop OLED screen
Screen Resolution
2880x1800 touchscreen
Hard Drives
1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
PSU
Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
Case
Yep, got one
Cooling
Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
Keyboard
Built in UK keybd
Mouse
Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
Internet Speed
900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
Browser
Edge
Antivirus
Defender
Other Info
TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

Macrium Reflect Home V8
Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)

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