WMI Data Provider Not Found (0x0000106C) — Quick Fixes

What’s This Error?

You’re seeing 0x0000106C — ERROR_WMI_DP_NOT_FOUND. It means a WMI data provider didn’t load. This usually happens when an app or script tries to query WMI for system info (like disk space, services, or event logs) and the provider behind that query is missing or corrupted.

I’ve seen this after a failed Windows update, a third-party uninstall that yanked a WMI provider, or a disk error that corrupted the repository. The fix is straightforward — you don’t need to be a WMI wizard.

Let’s start with the quickest check.

Step 1: Quick Fix — Re-register WMI Provider (30 seconds)

This is my first move. Run a single command to re-register all standard WMI providers. It takes ten seconds.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator (press Win + X, then click “Terminal (Admin)”).
2. Type this and hit Enter:

winmgmt /regserver

3. Then type:

winmgmt /resetrepository

The /regserver flag tells Windows to re-register the WMI service. The /resetrepository flag rebuilds the repository from scratch. You’ll see a message like “WMI repository has been reset.”

Does this break things? No. The repository is rebuilt using default system files. Any custom WMI providers (like from SQL Server or VMware) will need to be re-registered by reinstalling that software. But standard Windows stuff comes right back.

After that, restart your PC. Check if the error is gone. If you’re still seeing 0x0000106C, move to Step 2.

Step 2: Moderate Fix — Run the WMI Diagnosis Tool (5 minutes)

Microsoft provides a free tool called WMIDiag (WMI Diagnostic Utility). It scans your repository and provider registrations, then tells you exactly what’s wrong. I keep a copy on my USB stick for stubborn cases.

1. Download WMIDiag from the Microsoft download center (search “WMIDiag v2”). It’s a single .vbs file.
2. Save it to your desktop. Right-click it and select “Run with PowerShell” (or run from an admin command prompt: cscript WMIDiag.vbs).
3. Let it run — takes 2–3 minutes. It’ll output a lot of text. Look for lines starting with FAILED or ERROR.
4. If it finds a missing provider — for example, MSiSCSI_WMI_Provider — that’s your culprit. The tool often suggests a fix command.

> Opinion: Skip the GUI tools for this. They hide the real problem. WMIDiag’s raw output is ugly but honest.

If WMIDiag reports a corrupted repository even after the reset, go to Step 3.

Step 3: Advanced Fix — Manual Repository Rebuild and Provider Check (15+ minutes)

This is the nuclear option. Use it when the reset failed or you’re still getting errors after WMIDiag.

3a. Stop and Rename the Repository

First, stop the WMI service so we can replace its files.

1. Open Command Prompt as admin.
2. Stop the service:

net stop winmgmt

Wait for “The Windows Management Instrumentation service was stopped successfully.”

3. Rename the current repository folder (keep it as backup):

rename %windir%\System32\wbem\Repository Repository.old

3b. Rebuild the Repository from Scratch

Now we’ll force a clean build.

1. Start the service again:

net start winmgmt

Windows will automatically create a new empty repository. Then we need to populate it with default MOF files.

2. Run this command to recompile all standard WMI classes:

winmgmt /salvagerepository

This scans the %windir%\System32\wbem folder for MOF files and compiles them into the new repository. It may take 5–10 minutes on older PCs.

If you get an error about missing MOF files, manually compile them:

cd /d %windir%\System32\wbem
for /f %s in ('dir /b *.mof') do mofcomp %s

This compiles every .mof file in that folder. It’s thorough but slow. Let it finish — don’t interrupt.

3c. Re-register Specific Providers

If you know which provider is failing (WMIDiag told you), re-register it. For example, if it’s the MSiSCSI provider:

regsvr32 iScsiProvider.dll

You’ll need to find the correct DLL in %windir%\System32 or %windir%\SysWOW64. A quick search: dir /s iScsi*.dll.

3d. Final Service Restart

1. Restart your PC.
2. Open an admin command prompt and run:

winmgmt /verifyrepository

It should say “WMI repository is consistent.”

Still broken? This is rare. It could be a hardware failure (bad disk sector on the repository folder). Run chkdsk c: /f to check. Or — and I hate to say it — a system file corruption that needs an in-place upgrade (keep your files, refresh Windows).

One last thing: if you’re running an old app like Symantec Endpoint Protection 12 or an ancient printer driver, uninstall it. Those things love to break WMI providers.

Hope this saves you the hair-pulling I went through the first time I hit 0x0000106C. Drop a comment if you get stuck — I read every one.