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Prepare for the removal of WMIC from Windows 11
MC1462813 · build prod-20251231-200323
Category
stayInformed
Severity
normal
Major change
False
Last modified
2026-08-27 17:25:17
Summary source
Azure OpenAI (gpt-4.1)
Action by (Graph)
Action by (AI)
Services
Windows
Tags
Admin impact
Master tags
Admin
Roadmap IDs

One-line summary

WMIC utility has been removed from Windows 11 versions 24H2 and later. Organizations should migrate tooling that relies on WMIC to PowerShell or supported WMI interfaces.

Details

Body (from Message Center)

What and why:
The Windows Management Instrumentation command-line (WMIC) utility has been removed from Windows 11, version 24H2 and later. It’s no longer available as a Feature on Demand on these versions. WMI itself remains supported and unaffected.
 
Rollout schedule:
  • 2016: WMIC utility was deprecated in Windows Server 2012.
  • 2021: WMIC utility was deprecated in Windows 10, version 21H2.
  • 2022: WMIC utility was available in Windows 11, version 22H2 as a Feature on Demand (FoD), which was preinstalled and enabled by default.
  • 2024: WMIC utility was disabled by default in Windows 11, versions 23H2 and 24H2. It was still available as a Feature on Demand (FoD).
  • 2025: WMIC utility was removed, if already installed, when upgrading to Windows 11, version 25H2. However, you could previously add it back as a Feature on Demand (FoD).
  • 2026: The WMIC utility has been removed from Windows 11. The removal is reflected in Windows Insider Preview builds and is part of the August 2026 preview update for Windows 11, versions 24H2 and 25H2. WMIC is also removed from Windows 11, version 26H1. It is no longer available as a Feature on Demand (FoD).

Impact on your organization:
Organizations with automated deployment or monitoring systems that rely on WMIC should validate and update their tooling to avoid disruptions.
 
Action required/recommendations:
Organizations should identify applications, scripts, deployment tools, and monitoring systems that use WMIC and migrate them to PowerShell or supported WMI programming interfaces. Learn more at Windows Management Instrumentation command-line (WMIC) removal from Windows.
 
Compliance considerations:
No compliance considerations are identified. Review as appropriate for your organization.

Raw JSON (for debugging)

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{
  "snapshot_item": {
    "action_required_by": null,
    "ai_action_required_by": null,
    "ai_actions": [
      "Identify applications, scripts, and tools using WMIC",
      "Migrate dependencies to PowerShell or supported WMI interfaces"
    ],
    "ai_master_tags": [
      "Admin"
    ],
    "ai_model": "gpt-4.1",
    "ai_summary": "WMIC utility has been removed from Windows 11 versions 24H2 and later. Organizations should migrate tooling that relies on WMIC to PowerShell or supported WMI interfaces.",
    "ai_topics": [
      "Windows"
    ],
    "category": "stayInformed",
    "details_map": {},
    "id": "MC1462813",
    "importance": 0,
    "is_major_change": false,
    "last_modified": "2026-08-27T17:25:17Z",
    "ms_products": [
      "Windows"
    ],
    "platforms": null,
    "roadmap_ids": [],
    "services": [
      "Windows"
    ],
    "severity": "normal",
    "tags": [
      "Admin impact"
    ],
    "title": "Prepare for the removal of WMIC from Windows 11"
  }
}