SQL SERVER – Unable to Launch SQL Server Configuration Manager. Error: Cannot Connect to WMI Provider. [0x80070422]

While playing with my virtual machine, I encountered an interesting error. In this blog we would learn how to fix error cannot connect to WMI provider [0x80070422] while launching SQL Server Configuration Manager.

As I have been writing in my earlier blogs, I always use my virtual machine as my playground to break things and fix it. If I can fix it, I write a blog and if I can’t fix it then I restore the VM to last known good image. After making some changes, when I tried launching SQL Server configuration manager, I was welcomed by below error message.

Here is the text of error message.

Cannot connect to WMI provider. You do not have permission or the server is unreachable. Note that you can only manage SQL Server 2005 and later servers with SQL Server Configuration Manager.
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it. [0x80070422]

The first part of the error message is quite generic. The second part is the one which explains the real cause. It talks about some service which is needed. Based on my experience I knew that it is all about WMI Service. If you get same hex code 0x80070422 then you should check services on that machine. You might find the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Service is set as “Disabled”

WORKAROUND/SOLUTION

As you might have guessed that we need to enable Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service to get it working. This service should be healthy for SQL Server Configuration Manager to work properly. Here are the steps to enable the service.

1. Click on Start and go to Run
2. Type “Services.msc” and hit enter.
3. Scroll down to locate “Windows Management Instrumentation”
4. Right-click on that service and go to properties.
5. From the drop-down, choose “Automatic”.
6. Hit OK to save the settings.

After following the above, you should be able to launch the SQL Server Configuration Manager without any error.  Have you found any other cause of such error caused by WMI?

Reference: Pinal Dave (https://blog.SQLAuthority.com)

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