Summary
- WMIC (Windows Management Instrumentation command-line) has been removed from Windows 11 and is no longer available as a Feature on Demand on affected versions.
- WMI itself is still supported and unaffected; only the WMIC command-line utility is being retired.
- Organizations that use WMIC in scripts, automation, deployment, or monitoring should validate those dependencies and migrate to PowerShell or supported WMI interfaces.
- This change affects Windows environments where WMIC was previously used for administrative or automated tasks.
Microsoft 365 Message Center ID: MC1462813
Primary Service: Windows
Admin Impact: High
User Impact: Low
Release Start: 27 Aug 2026
Release End: 27 Aug 2026
Last Modified: August 28, 2026
Category: Stay informed
Tags: New feature, Admin impact
Status: Launched
Products & Platforms: Windows
History
8/27/2026 Item Added to Message Center
Microsoft Message
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/recommendation
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.