What does Windows error code 4213 (ERROR_WMI_READ_ONLY) mean?

 
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ERROR_WMI_ALREADY_DISABLED ERROR_WMI_SET_FAILURE

ERROR_WMI_READ_ONLY

Discovery and modification are separate capabilities

A client can successfully query a WMI data block yet be forbidden to change one of its items. This status means that the requested item is read-only through the provider's WMI change path. It is different from an unknown item ID: the item can be known and correctly addressed, but the provider does not allow a caller-initiated modification.

When a driver uses WmiSystemControl, absence of the optional setter callback causes the WMI library to complete a single-item change request as read-only. A driver that handles the IRP itself must also validate that the requested item is one it deliberately exposes as writable.

Do not bypass the contract

  • Use a documented configuration interface when the provider intentionally exposes telemetry only.
  • For a writable item, implement and test the appropriate setter path, including validation and rollback on failure.
  • Do not treat this status as an access-control denial unless the provider's own diagnostics show an authorization check; it describes mutability in the WMI contract.

References


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