I'm stuck supporting some legacy data collectors that my company refuses to replace, and now that I've upgraded everyone to Windows 11, I'm finding that Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) is no longer supported. This was essential for connecting Windows Mobile ActiveSync devices. Does anyone have any advice on getting it to work or alternatives? Also, is there a newer version of .NET I can use while keeping backward compatibility? Thanks!
2 Answers
We had a similar situation with outdated inventory scanning software that relied on a Windows Mobile device needing WMDC. I managed to get it running on a later version of Windows 10, but it took a lot of tinkering. Eventually, I told my department it wasn’t feasible to keep fixing it, and they switched to a modern tablet and updated their inventory software. Sometimes it's just best to push for an upgrade when things get that tricky.
Check out the instructions linked here; hopefully they'll help you set WMDC up on your Windows 11. If it doesn't work, sadly, there aren’t many other options left to make it compatible now.
As for the .NET framework, since WMDC needs .NET 2, you'll want to install .NET 3.5 on Windows 11, which includes the 2.x binaries. It's not perfect, but that’s your best bet right now.
I’m just concerned about the security issues tied to .NET 2 and 3.5. Is there any way at all to use a newer .NET version while still keeping everything functional?