WMIC Is Deprecated in Windows 11 25H2

WMIC, the old Windows Management Instrumentation command-line utility, is removed when the Windows 11 version 25H2 feature update is installed. Microsoft still keeps the underlying WMI infrastructure, but the legacy wmic command is no longer something IT teams should rely on.

For small businesses and IT administrators, the practical risk is simple: old scripts can fail after the upgrade. If you use batch files, task sequences, login scripts or inventory commands that call wmic, audit them before rolling out Windows 11 25H2 widely.

What changed in Windows 11 25H2?

Microsoft deprecated WMIC years ago and has been moving administrators toward PowerShell and CIM cmdlets. In Windows 11 25H2, WMIC is uninstalled during the feature update. Microsoft notes that it can still be reinstalled from optional features or DISM, but that route is not recommended because the tool is planned for full removal in the future.

The important distinction: WMIC is affected, WMI itself is not. PowerShell commands such as Get-CimInstance and management tools that use WMI remain the modern replacement path.

Why does this matter?

Many environments still have old commands like these in scripts:

wmic computersystem get model
wmic bios get serialnumber
wmic os get caption,version
wmic service where name="spooler" call startservice

Those commands may be inside:

• Configuration Manager or deployment task sequences
• Group Policy startup and shutdown scripts
• Scheduled tasks
• Inventory scripts
• Helpdesk troubleshooting scripts
• Old vendor documentation and runbooks

If those scripts run after the upgrade and WMIC is not present, they fail.

PowerShell replacements for common WMIC commands

Old WMIC command	PowerShell replacement
wmic computersystem get model	Get-CimInstance Win32_ComputerSystem | Select-Object Model
wmic bios get serialnumber	Get-CimInstance Win32_BIOS | Select-Object SerialNumber
wmic os get caption,version	Get-CimInstance Win32_OperatingSystem | Select-Object Caption, Version
wmic service get name,state	Get-CimInstance Win32_Service | Select-Object Name, State
wmic process list	Get-CimInstance Win32_Process

How to find WMIC usage before upgrading

Search your script locations before deploying Windows 11 25H2. For example:

Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\Scripts" -Recurse -Include *.bat,*.cmd,*.ps1 |
  Select-String -Pattern "wmic" |
  Select-Object Path, LineNumber, Line

Also check deployment shares, old admin folders, documentation and scheduled tasks. Some WMIC usage sits outside formal script repositories.

Migration checklist

1. Search all scripts and task sequences for wmic.
2. Classify each script by business impact.
3. Replace WMIC commands with PowerShell CIM equivalents.
4. Test the new script on Windows 10, Windows 11 23H2/24H2 and Windows 11 25H2 where relevant.
5. Update runbooks and helpdesk notes.
6. Roll out the Windows 11 25H2 upgrade in pilot rings before broad deployment.

Use CIM sessions for remote checks

For remote management, CIM sessions are usually cleaner than old WMIC remote calls.

$session = New-CimSession -ComputerName "PC01"
Get-CimInstance -CimSession $session -ClassName Win32_ComputerSystem
Remove-CimSession $session

This gives you better error handling and fits modern PowerShell administration.

Should you reinstall WMIC?

Only as a short-term emergency workaround. Reinstalling WMIC may help an urgent legacy process, but it does not solve the underlying problem. Any business planning Windows 11 25H2 should treat WMIC migration as mandatory maintenance.

Need help with Windows 11 rollout planning?

Verge Tech Solutions helps small businesses audit scripts, modernise PowerShell, manage Windows updates and plan safer endpoint rollouts across London, Berkshire and Surrey.

View business IT support or book a consultation.