Skip to main content
All CollectionsDecember 31, 2023Data CollectionTroubleshooting data collection
Troubleshooting "Failed to connect to the WMI service" error
Troubleshooting "Failed to connect to the WMI service" error

Learn how to troubleshoot WMI connectivity issues for Windows Endpoints

Beta Team avatar
Written by Beta Team
Updated over a year ago

Prerequisites

You must have access to Windows Server where OneIQ Pulse is installed.

You must have access to the Microsoft Windows endpoint.

Overview

The error message "Failed to connect to the WMI service" typically indicates that there was a problem establishing a connection with the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service on a Windows-based system. WMI is a management infrastructure provided by Microsoft for performing administrative tasks on local and remote Windows systems.

Symptoms

If connectivity issues occur between OneIQ Pulse and a Microsoft Windows endpoint, the following error is displayed upon clicking the Details button:

There are several potential causes of the Failed to connect to the WMI service error.

  • WMI is not enabled

  • Remote Registry is not enabled. 

Examples of the error

  • Unexpected error occurred when accessing Windows endpoint. Failed to connect to the WMI service. Ensure that WMI remote access is enabled and allowed through the firewall.

  • Failed to connect to the WMI service.

  • Access is denied. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80070005 (E_ACCESSDENIED))

Troubleshooting

  1. Change Credentials: If you’re using a fully qualified domain name in your credentials, try changing it to a shortened domain name. For example, change from company.com/username to company/username.

  2. Check WMI Service Status: On the Microsoft Windows endpoint, click on Start, then Run, and type services.msc to open the Services window. In the Services window, look for the Windows Management Instrumentation service in the right pane and confirm that the service is running. If it’s not, right-click on the service and select Start.

  3. Check Remote Registry Service: Still in the Services window, look for the Remote Registry service. This service allows remote registry manipulation and should be running for WMI to function correctly.

  4. Enable WMI Remote Access: WMI remote access should be enabled on the machine. You can check this by opening Computer Management, expanding Services and Applications, right-clicking on WMI Control and selecting Properties. In the WMI Control Properties window, go to the Security tab, select Root, and click on Security. Ensure that the user or group that will be accessing WMI remotely has the necessary permissions.

  5. Check Firewall Settings: Ensure that WMI remote access is allowed through the firewall. You can do this by going to Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall > Allow an app through Windows Firewall. Look for Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and make sure it’s allowed.

If the above-mentioned measures do not help, you can isolate the WMI remote connection issue by downloading and running the PowerShell script. You can obtain the PowerShell script by contacting OneIQ Support.

Did this answer your question?