Applies To
Express Software Manager version 6.1

Summary
In certain situations, when the Express client is installed on Windows 98 or Windows NT 4.0 workstations, an error is generated by Exwmi.exe. This occurs when the workstation has an old version of WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation). This technical note explains how to correct this error by downloading an updated Express WMI client.

Important: This note is specifically intended for customers who are still using Express Software Manager 6.1. Express Software Manager 6.2 includes a different WMI client, and versions of Express Software Manager prior to 6.1 did not support WMI data gathering.

WMI and Express Software Manager 6.1
Express Software Manager 6.1 includes a WMI client (Exwmi.exe) that runs when the Express client is installed on a workstation. This WMI client gathers WMI information from WMI-enabled workstations.

Due to a limitation of the Express 6.1 WMI client, if an unexpected version of WMI is found, an error can occur.

Express Metrix has updated the 6.1 WMI client to handle these conditions. Download the updated WMI client following the instructions below.

Note: WMI is built into Windows XP and Windows 2000. Versions for Windows NT 4.0, Windows 98, and Windows 95 can be downloaded from Microsoft.

If you want to gather WMI data from NT 4.0 or Windows 98 workstations, you also need to update the WMI Core components. See the section titled Updating WMI Core Components for details.

If you do not care about gathering WMI data, you can use a switch to install the Express client without gathering WMI information. The steps for doing this are described in Installing the Express Client Without Gathering WMI

Updating the Express WMI Client
To update the Express WMI client:

1. Download the zipped file, Exwmi61.zip, from:

http://www.expressmetrix.com/support/support_downloads.asp

Note: If you have not already logged into the Support site, you will be prompted for your VPA number.

2. Unzip the downloaded file on your Administrative Console workstation and copy Exwmi.exe to the \Clients folder.

3. Copy the Exwmi.exe file to the \Clients folder of your application library, or run the Library Maintenance Tool to update the library \Clients folder. For details on using the Library Maintenance Tool, see your online documentation.

4. Run Exinst32.exe on each workstation that had been giving you errors. See your online documentation for more information about running Exinst32.exe.

Note: You will not get any WMI data unless you also update the WMI Core version on the workstation, but you will no longer see the errors.

Update the WMI version on a workstation by downloading the version 1.5 WMI Core components from Microsoft:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/default.asp?url=/downloads/sample.asp?url=/MSDN-FILES/027/001/576/msdncompositedoc.xml

Installing the Express Client Without Gathering WMI
You can add a switch to the Express install program to tell it to skip collecting WMI information. Doing this will allow you to continue to use the old Express WMI client without errors. You will not be able to gather WMI data on any workstation that does not have version 1.5 WMI Core components.

To install the Express client without gathering WMI, use the –n switch with Exinst32.exe.

For example:

\\<fileserver>\library\clients\exinst32.exe -n

Contacting Express Technical Support
If you have additional questions or concerns about Express Software Manager and WMI, contact Express Metrix Technical Support at:

support@expressmetrix.com

Related Technical Notes

9989	Express Software Manager 6.x Technical Notes