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What the Skpswi.dat marker excludes
The marker is an empty file; its contents do not configure the exclusion. Microsoft’s documented procedure is to set the file’s Hidden attribute. Put it at the root of the directory tree you want software inventory to skip:
C:ProgramDataVendorCacheSkpswi.datexcludes theVendorCachefolder structure.D:LargeDataSetSkpswi.datexcludes theLargeDataSetfolder structure.C:Skpswi.datis a drive-level exclusion and is much broader than excluding a subfolder.
The file belongs inside the directory to exclude, not in its parent unless you intend to exclude the parent tree too. It must be present on each client where that local path should be excluded. A marker created on a management point or administrator workstation does not affect other clients. Microsoft says the affected drive is not inventoried again until the marker is deleted. See Microsoft’s configuration guidance.
Create the exclusion
Using File Explorer
- Open the exact folder whose contents and descendants should be skipped.
- Create a new empty file and name it
Skpswi.dat. - Make sure Windows has not retained a hidden extension, producing
Skpswi.dat.txt. In File Explorer, enable file-name extensions if needed. - Right-click the file, select Properties, select Hidden, and apply the change.
Using PowerShell
Run PowerShell with permission to write to the target directory. Replace the example path with the folder you intend to exclude:
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$Path = 'C:SensitiveDataSkpswi.dat'
New-Item -Path $Path -ItemType File -Force | Out-Null
attrib +h $Path
Get-Item -LiteralPath $Path -Force |
Select-Object FullName, Length, AttributesConfirm that Length is 0 and Attributes includes Hidden. Check that the full name ends in Skpswi.dat, not Skpswi.dat.txt.
Remove the exclusion
Delete the marker when the folder should be inventoried again:
Remove-Item -LiteralPath 'C:SensitiveDataSkpswi.dat' -ForceIf necessary, clear the Hidden attribute first with attrib -h 'C:SensitiveDataSkpswi.dat', then remove the file. A later inventory cycle is needed to process the changed scope.
When to retrieve policy and run inventory
Creating the marker is a local filesystem change, so policy retrieval is not required for that change alone. Retrieve policy if you also changed client settings or inventory configuration. On a client, open Control Panel > Configuration Manager > Actions, select Machine Policy Retrieval & Evaluation Cycle, and choose Run Now. Alternatively, in the Configuration Manager console, select the device and use Client Notification > Download Computer Policy. Microsoft documents these client-management options at Manage clients.
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Then trigger a software inventory cycle from the client’s Actions tab, where available, or use supported Configuration Manager client tools. The cycle and the report’s arrival are separate stages: the client scans, generates inventory information, sends it to a management point, and the information is processed into the site database. The documented default software inventory and file collection cycle is every seven days in current branch, but administrators can configure a different schedule. Client settings details and the software inventory overview describe the schedule and reporting flow.
Verify that the client processed the change
Use more than one signal: a log can show that an inventory cycle ran without displaying a simple, definitive “skipped because Skpswi.dat exists” message. The usual client log directory is C:WindowsCCMLogs; environments can use a different location.
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InventoryAgent.log: review software inventory cycle activity, report generation, and whether a full or delta report was sent.InventoryProvider.logandFileSystemFile.log: inspect additional inventory and provider activity.- Client Spy: Microsoft’s tool shows the last software inventory cycle and report dates, report versions, and file collection information. See Client Spy.
- Resource Explorer, a report, or a query: compare results for the target path after the client has completed and reported an inventory cycle.
Microsoft’s log-file reference describes these client logs. If you also changed client policy, PolicyAgent.log, PolicyAgentProvider.log, and CcmNotificationAgent.log can help trace policy retrieval and notification activity.
The first software inventory report is full; later reports are generally delta reports. A newly created marker does not promise that existing site database records disappear immediately. Old entries may remain until subsequent inventory processing or site-maintenance cleanup, so verify the behavior in your environment rather than treating a still-visible historical record as proof that the next scan ignored the marker.
What this marker does not disable
Skpswi.dat controls Configuration Manager software inventory scanning of the marked folder structure. It is not a general exclusion for other features or tools:
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- Hardware inventory is a separate system. Excluding a software-inventory path does not itself change hardware inventory. See Microsoft’s hardware inventory overview.
- Software metering, application detection, scripts, compliance baselines, and other client activity are not disabled by this marker.
- File collection is distinct from software inventory. Do not treat the marker as a general data-collection or data-loss-prevention control. Microsoft discusses software inventory and file collection risks in its security and privacy guidance.
- Microsoft Defender scanning is not configured by this marker; use the relevant Defender controls for that separate purpose.
The marker is not tamper-proof. A user with sufficient local privileges can create, remove, or manipulate it, so it is an administrative scanning control rather than a security boundary. Inventory data itself should not be treated as tamper-proof compliance or forensic evidence. Microsoft’s security and privacy guidance also notes that users with local administrative rights can submit invalid inventory data.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.For multiple devices: deploy and govern the marker
For a recurring exclusion across clients, deploy a script, package, application, or configuration baseline that creates the marker locally. A configuration baseline is useful when you need compliance visibility or remediation; it is an operational choice, not a requirement for the marker to work.
- Test on a pilot device and confirm the target path is correct.
- Run the deployment in a context with write permission to that folder, such as Local System where appropriate.
- Use detection logic that checks the folder exists, the marker is named exactly
Skpswi.dat, its length is zero, and its Hidden attribute is set. - Review client logs and reported inventory results before expanding deployment.
- Document who owns the exclusion and how to remove it when the requirement ends.
When a central scope change is a better fit
If the aim is to reduce inventory volume broadly, managing the inventory scope centrally may be easier than distributing many local marker files. In Administration > Client Settings > Default Client Settings > Properties > Software Inventory, administrators can configure whether the agent is enabled, the schedule, detail level, file types, and search locations. For a limited group of devices, use a custom device client setting and deploy it to the relevant collection, checking client-setting precedence and scope before rollout. Microsoft’s software inventory configuration guidance and client settings documentation describe these controls.
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| Approach | Best fit | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
Skpswi.dat in a folder |
A specific local folder tree must be excluded. | Granular, but must be deployed and maintained on each client. |
Skpswi.dat at a drive root |
An entire drive should be skipped. | Simple, but removes software-inventory visibility across that drive. |
| Reduce file types or search locations in client settings | Inventory is needed only for selected file types or known paths. | Central governance, but changes scope more broadly and requires careful validation. |
| Disable software inventory with a scoped client setting | A collection of devices should not run the software inventory agent. | Centralized but coarse: those devices lose all software inventory. |
| Use a baseline or script detection | The marker must be enforced and audited. | Adds deployment and compliance-management overhead. |
| Use another data source or a one-time investigation | The actual need is installed-product metadata or a temporary query rather than recurring file scanning. | Hardware inventory, CMPivot, or scripts serve different purposes and do not replace arbitrary recurring file discovery. |
Troubleshoot common failures
- Inventory still finds files under the path: confirm that the marker is in the exact directory to exclude, is named exactly
Skpswi.dat, has no extra extension, is empty, and has the Hidden attribute. Confirm it exists on the affected client, not only on a server. - The path is a UNC share: Microsoft documents this method for a client drive or folder structure. Do not assume it excludes a network share the client may access separately; check the configured inventory scope and test the actual scenario.
- Old results remain visible: distinguish historical records from data produced by a cycle run after the marker was in place. Reporting and database cleanup are asynchronous.
- The cycle has not run or reported: check the client Actions tab, relevant inventory logs, and—if settings changed—policy logs. Use Client Spy to review cycle and report dates.
- Inventory remains slow: excluding one folder only reduces work for that path. Other causes can include searching too many locations, excessive file types or file counts, large reports, WMI provider pressure, network delays, or client health. Microsoft identifies WMI provider error
80041006as an out-of-memory condition and lists reducing software inventory scope as a possible mitigation in its configuration guidance.
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