If you’ve encountered wicainventory.exe anywhere on your
device, there is no cause for alarm.
However, some people prefer to understand and resolve any
errors related to it. So, let’s begin with an explanation of what
wicainventory.exe is. We shall see what it does, the problems that people
encounter, and what this means for various users.
We shall then outline the most common errors and explain how
to remove wicainventory.exe. Before you make any conclusions and take any
action, you should understand that this guide is only meant for educational
purposes. You may not need to delete wicainventory.exe if you doubt that your
system will be okay. If you have any sensitive data on your computer, consider
gaining a full understanding of the implications of removing or retaining
wicainventory.exe.
That being said, let’s get right to it!
The primary file is wicainventory.exe. The .exe part means
that it is an executable file. Executable files work by commanding the computer
to perform specific tasks. They are created by incorporating a series of
instructions in the file, i.e., encoding tasks within it.
The wicainventory.exe does not require you to click on it to
run the encoded instructions. It often runs when you switch on your machine and
during software updates. Now, we understand the .exe part, which indicates that
we are seeing an executable file.
We need to understand the remaining part: wicainventory. If
you read it right, you pronounced the term ‘inventory.’ In software
development, inventory is the collection of assets that will serve some kind of
purpose. Think of the term as a reference to the various programs and their
associated resources. It leads us to the next thing, which is ‘wica.’
You can read the whole file as ‘WICA
Inventory executable.’ It is a safe file created by
Microsoft and it comes with the Windows operating system.
What Does It Do?
To understand what wicainventory.exe does, let’s explain
what it means. WICA is an acronym for Windows Install Compatibility Advisor. It
is a tool that Windows uses at the installation stage for various programs.
Now, we have sorted out the term ‘install’ and we can now focus on
compatibility.
The tool does not just focus on the process of installing
any program but rather on whether the program, relevant devices, and
applications match in a way that prevents errors, damage, or helps to achieve
the correct purpose of installation. When you check for updates for a given
program, the tool will ensure that you get compatible files and programs.
The compatibility also depends on your machine, peripherals,
and operating system. It is an advisor because it will produce errors to inform
you of incompatibilities. We already explained the term ‘œinventory’ and now you can see that the tool monitors the various
programs and their associated resources during installation and advises you on
any of their compatibility issues.
Now we understand why wicainventory.exe exists on machines
that run the Windows operating system and what it does. It is safe to say that
this is a well-meaning tool that is provided by Microsoft Corporation.
Is It Safe Or A Virus?
The wicainventory.exe tool is usually safe and does not harm
computers. However, some people may find it over-occupying their CPUs and
slowing down their machines.
You may suspect that it is harming your computer but this is
highly unlikely. The program is not a virus. It could take up resources and
inconvenience you in one way or the other but it is not a virus. The
wicainventory.exe is safe for as long as it is not corrupted. The program may
also interact with antivirus software in a way that leads to irregularities in
its behavior.
When this happens, wicainventory.exe is unlikely to harm
your computer but it may cause unexpected changes in how programs open, the
speed of your computer, and your ability to install more software. If
wicainventory.exe appears corrupted, you need to ensure that your machine is
running the appropriate programs or has an active antivirus. Ensure that the
issue is not affecting several other programs by checking to see that there are
no obvious security threats. Programs that could corrupt wicainventory.exe and
other components of your machine occur online, on storage devices, and in
insecure networks. If wicainventory.exe is not corrupted, you can focus on
solving the errors.
Problems With Wicainventory.Exe
The problems you may encounter with wicainventory.exe
include:
·
Slowing your PC, server, or website
·
Launch and installation errors
·
Application errors
·
Bad Image errors
·
Execution errors
·
Corrupt file errors
The most common problems associated with wicainventory.exe
include slowdowns for PCs, launch errors, and installation issues. The tool can
slow down a PC by taking up more of your CPU’s capacity, but this is not very
common.
The errors in launching programs include the failure to launch
an application or any launch that brings up a wicainventory.exe error.
Installing updates can also fail and bring up errors. Such applications and MS
Office applications and other programs can also show irregular behavior with
wicainventory.exe errors.
If you encounter a Bad Image error with wicainventory.exe,
this relates to the library and files on your machine, which may require
re-installation of the affected program or operating system. Execution errors
prevent installed programs from starting when you click on them or when they
are triggered by the system.
They require performing diagnostics, rebooting, or
re-installation. Some people encounter corrupt files. You need to check
specific files for corrupt file errors associated with wicainventory.exe, which
may then require deleting the file.
How To Remove Wicainventory.Exe
Before removing wicainventory.exe, ensure that you exhaust
other options, which include:
·
Attempting to update your system
·
Rebooting the machine
·
Performing automated diagnostics
·
Updating your antivirus
·
Safely turn off the antivirus while disconnected
from the internet
·
Turning off unnecessary programs or deleting
them altogether
·
Backing up your data and reinstalling the
operating system
·
Disabling the windows install compatibility
advisor inventory tool.
·
You can remove the wicainventory.exe by
disabling it or locating and deleting the file.
·
You may also overwrite it with a new file.
To disable the file, you need to MS Autoruns. You then
launch Autoruns and follow the following steps: Go to the Filter Options tab Uncheck
the ‘Hide Windows Entries’ Search for aepdu.dll You will see a file (or two files)
starting with wicainventory.exe Uncheck the wicainventory.exe aepdu.dll files
The wicainventory.exe is now disabled and won’t run on your machine. Reboot
your computer and check to see if any errors persist. You can also remove the
file altogether if you see persistent errors.
Completely Removing The Windows Install Compability Advisor
Inventory Tool
It is easy to remove and replace the wicainventory.exe file.
Follow the following steps to locate, and remove the file:
·
Ensure you are logged in as the administrator
·
Close all files and folders
·
Press F3 to bring up the search bar or go to it
in the start menu
·
Type wicainventory.exe and check whether it
appears in the results If the file appeared in the results, right-click and go
to its location.
·
If the file does not appear, go to
C:\Windows\System32\CompatTel\ Locate the file with the exact name and select
it by pressing the CTRL and selecting it.
·
You can
now press SHIFT and DEL, i.e., shift-delete the file. If you ever need to
replace the file, get it from Microsoft’s official
source.
·
You can download it and paste it in
C:\Windows\System32\CompatTel\ with administrator privileges.
Conclusion
We have seen that wicainventory.exe is a tool provided by
windows to manage the compatibility of installations. It is mostly safe and the
program is not a virus.
You may encounter problems with wicainventory.exe during
installations, program launching, or experience a slowdown of your PC and
several errors.
The solutions include attempting updates, diagnostics, safe
disabling of the antivirus, disabling the wicainventory.exe tool, deleting the
wicainventory.exe, or replacing it.
You can delete it from C:\Windows\System32\CompatTel\ for
most computers or search for its location and remove it. It is also possible to
replace the file in the same location. You will need to reboot your machine
after removing or replacing the program.
Good luck!
