WMI runs as part of a shared service host with ports assigned through DCOM by default. Starting with Windows Vista, you can set up the WMI service to run as the only process in a separate host and specify a fixed port.

A fixed port makes WMI easier to use behind firewalls, but in Windows Vista you cannot use scripts that make asynchronous calls. For more information about asynchronous calls, see Calling a Method.

The following procedure is an automated setup to allow WMI to have a fixed port. The procedure uses the winmgmt command-line tool.

To set up a fixed port for WMI

1. At the command prompt, type winmgmt -standalonehost
2. Stop the WMI service by typing the command net stop "Windows Management Instrumentation"
3. Restart the WMI service again in a new service host by typing net start "Windows Management Instrumentation"
4. Establish a new port number for the WMI service by typing netsh firewall add portopening port=24158 name=WMIFixedPort

See Also

Connecting to WMI on a Remote Computer

Connecting to WMI Remotely Starting with Vista

Provider Hosting and Security

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Build date: 1/8/2010

Build type: MSDN