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.