Applies To
Express Software Manager version 6.2

Summary
Express Software Manager 6.2 uses WMI to gather hardware information on client workstations. If a workstation does not have WMI installed and enabled, Express will gather a limited amount of hardware inventory. Certain versions of Windows, including Windows NT 4.0, Windows 98, and Windows 95, either do not have WMI installed or have an early version of WMI. To gather complete hardware inventory data on these machines, you must install an updated version of WMI. This technical note describes where to get the WMI update, and how to re-inventory a client machine after installing or updating WMI.

WMI and Express Inventory
Express Software Manager uses WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) to gather machine hardware information. In order for the Express inventory client to collect complete hardware inventory information, WMI must be installed and enabled on client workstations.

WMI is included in Windows 2000 and Windows XP. If you have client machines running Windows NT 4.0, Windows 98, or Windows 95, you may need to update the WMI Core components on these workstations. A client workstation that does not have WMI enabled will show no hardware data in Express reports, even after being inventoried. Updated WMI Core components can be downloaded from Microsoft.

Note: Older workstations with hardware component that are not WMI-aware cannot be fully inventoried for hardware, even when WMI is up-to-date on those computers.

Updating WMI Core Components
Updating WMI will allow you to gather hardware data on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 98, and Windows 95 machines. Update a workstation’s WMI Core components by downloading the latest update from Microsoft.

For Windows 9x machines, download the update here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=98A4C5BA-337B-4E92-8C18-A63847760EA5&displaylang=en

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=C174CFB1-EF67-471D-9277-4C2B1014A31E

If you update WMI after installing the Express client, follow the steps below to re-inventory the client workstations and gather hardware inventory data.

After updating the WMI Core on your client machine:

1. Delete the wrqexp.ini file from the client workstation.

Wrqexp.ini is a hidden, system file installed to the root (usually C:\) of each workstation on which the Express client is installed. Note: If you do not delete this file, you may not get hardware inventory, even if you follow the rest of these steps.

2. Run the Express inventory client on the client workstation using two switches:

-p100 and -n.

1. Choose Start and then Run.

2. In the Run dialog box, enter exinv32.exe -p100 -n and click OK to start the inventory scan.

3. In Express Administrative Console, update the reporting database to gather the latest client inventory information.

support@expressmetrix.com

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