How to fix WMIC.exe Error within windows 11 dev builds

Oran C

Nov 8, 2021 • 4 min read

First off windows officially removed WMIC.exe from windows!

ARGH!

Last updated 20211215: new fixes and options, google drive link, neo4j fix

I'm running Windows 11 Insider Preview 22494.1000 currently (20211108)

What this change breaks:

Neo4j install
https://github.com/neo4j-devtools/neo4j-desktop/issues/116

Cypress.io firefox and other browser detection

What I've tired:

installing wmic.exe into C:\Windows\System32\wbem
super sketchy website has a older version of wmic.exe that i installed into the system to try to get it to work no dice!
https://www.exefiles.com/en/exe/wmic-exe/
https://www.exefiles.com/en/mui/wmic-exe-mui/

Try #2

Link to exe [download here 20211108](https://my.hidrive.com/lnk/WzvoAd4a#file)

The WMIC.exe is in the folder c:\windows\system32\wbem\

WMIC.exe.mui in the folder c:\windows\system32\wbem\en-US\

Update this doesnt work!

Fing MS does it again!

Fix for what i was trying to do : install neo4j

for the lazy heres the precompiled hack fix for this

npm install -g pkg

echo 'console.log("Caption  FreeSpace    Size");
console.log("C:       23770869760  63758659584");' > wbem.js

pkg -t  win  wbem.js

C:\Windows\System32\wbem.exe

works!

that didnt work ;/

I tried swithcing to wmic instead

pkg -t  win  wmic.js

try number 2

WOW IT WORKED!
thanks @feckardt (Frank)

To future people: warning this wmic is used by other system stuff, and you could bork some shit, you have been warned! :)

my exe's for the lazy
https://github.com/wisehackermonkey/wmic-fix
or if your a good parionid dev, you can replicate my stuff.....

Update: 20211215

I found a older copy of wmic.exe on my new pc, and copied it here for future reference. I tried finding some old versions but it was missing somethings, and i couldn't get it to work :/

Here's a more up to date versions that is less sketchy