Windows 11 24H2 is now incompatible with USB scanning devices, too

[Alfonso Maruccia]

Editor's take: Windows 11 24H2 increasingly shows how the Windows Insider program does nothing to improve Windows security and reliability. The number of show-stopper bugs experienced by customers who updated to the latest OS version is staggering. Meanwhile, Microsoft is just saying that they're working on (yet another) fix with no specific release date in sight.

Windows 11 24H2 doesn't work well with cache-less WD SSDs, Ubisoft games, Asus devices, fingerprint sensors, and much more. We can now add USB scanners and devices using the eSCL scan protocol to the troublesome issues. Microsoft recently confirmed the problem through its ever-growing list of known Windows 11 24H2 problems.

Microsoft notes that after installing Windows 11 version 24H2, USB devices supporting eSCL tech may not be discoverable anymore. The eSCL protocol provides support for USB peripherals with no need for specific system drivers. The protocol is the default communication method in MacOS, Linux, and Windows – usually.

Thanks to eSCL, networked scanners can be reliably used over Ethernet, Wi-Fi networks, and USB connections. This new issue is caused by a device becoming unable to switch from eSCL mode to USB mode, thus preventing Windows from matching the most suitable system driver with the connected device.

Windows 11 24H2 incompatibility with the eSCL technology doesn't affect only scanners, as printers, fax machines, modems, and other network devices also use the protocol. Users have been experiencing the eSCL issue since Microsoft rolled out the 24H2 upgrade to all suitable Windows machines on October 1, 2024.

After the upgrade, scanning machines and other eSCL-compatible devices have become useless in enterprise environments, SOHO setups, and end-user machines. Companies have asked Microsoft for a quick fix or a workaround, as the eSCL issue is starting to impact businesses and cause service disruption.

Microsoft said its developers are working on a resolution but didn't provide a timeline for a patch. The company put a "compatibility hold" on Windows PCs connected to eSCL devices to prevent the 24H2 automatic upgrade. It also asks knowledgeable users to avoid manually installing the new release until the issue has been resolved.

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

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Windows 11 24H2 is now incompatible with USB scanning devices, too

 

[The Talking Tech]

Many of these beta testers are working from home so they can't be proficient at their jobs while babysitting their child and doing laundry at home.

 

[PanGrns]

Hello Linux, here I come!

 

[yRaz]

Many of these beta testers are working from home so they can't be proficient at their jobs while babysitting their child and doing laundry at home.

Found the manager

 

[texasrattler]

Many of these beta testers are working from home so they can't be proficient at their jobs while babysitting their child and doing laundry at home.

LOL
The reality is it's likely a business decision to keep pumping out updates, even if there are known issues. Whether they actually know if something will break or not, we the public will likely never know. For MS and any company its just business.
Apple and Google all do the same, no different. MS just happens to have the biggest n most popular device that connects a lot of the world, not mention a good chunk of our infrastructure.

 

[ZedRM]

Wow. Way to go Microsoft... Good showing indeed... This is what happens when companies use the PUBLIC to do the beta testing. Absolute brainless, senseless fools.

 

[noblody]

Wow. Way to go Microsoft... Good showing indeed... This is what happens when companies use the PUBLIC to do the beta testing. Absolute brainless, senseless fools.

That is beta version, it is open to the public. You can test internally, but the ultimate test is the public release because there are countless hardware, software configurations and use cases. They can't possibly cover all of them with internal testing.

 

[noblody]

Many of these beta testers are working from home so they can't be proficient at their jobs while babysitting their child and doing laundry at home.

You do realize that windows insider is for the general public. The beta testers are people unrelated to Microsoft, people that opted to join the insider program.

 

[ZedRM]

That is beta version, it is open to the public.

No. 24H2 is at official public release. The update is being pushed to the general public and the full ISO images are available as the default Windows 11 download. 24H2 is at full public release. Oh, and was it mentioned that 24H2 is at full public release?

They can't possibly cover all of them with internal testing.

Yes, they can and they should be doing that. Microsoft is a $3,000,000,000,000 company. They can and should be doing proper and complete testing of their primary, public facing software product BEFORE it's released to the public.

 

[noblody]

Yes, they can and they should be doing that. Microsoft is a $3,000,000,000,000 company. They can and should be doing proper and complete testing of their primary, public facing software product BEFORE it's released to the software.

You are very optimistic to think someone can test everything and fix all possible bugs.

 

[ActualViking]

Many of these beta testers are working from home so they can't be proficient at their jobs while babysitting their child and doing laundry at home.

I think you're bitter because you're not allowed to work from home. Plenty of studies show people to as productive or even more when working from home.

 

[ZedRM]

You are very optimistic to think someone can test everything and fix all possible bugs.

It's called due-diligence. Before the internet, every company did it because they had no choice. One didn't just release buggy, glitchy software. And before you say things are different now, no it's not THAT different. Companies are simply lazy.

 

[ActualViking]

No. 24H2 is at official public release. The update is being pushed to the general public and the full ISO images are available as the default Windows 11 download. 24H2 is at full public release. Oh, and was it mentioned that 24H2 is at full public release?


Yes, they can and they should be doing that. Microsoft is a $3,000,000,000,000 company. They can and should be doing proper and complete testing of their primary, public facing software product BEFORE it's released to the software.

It is much cheaper for Microsoft to the let public do the testing, it is not like doing so makes them anymore despised as that is already at max. Microsoft don't need to care since there is no real competitors, no other platform is close to bringing the choice of software and then there is the software already running.
It sucks, but there is no way round Windows and while we can drag it out we all will run Win11 eventually.

 

[ZedRM]

It is much cheaper for Microsoft to the let public do the testing

Wait, wasn't something just said?

Companies are simply lazy.

Yesum, that's what I just said.

Microsoft don't need to care since there is no real competitors, no other platform is close to bringing the choice of software and then there is the software already running.

That's not true but I'm not opening THAT can of worms.

 

[MasterFig]

Hello Linux, here I come!

Oh good grief! And Linux has never released any buggy code?

 

[re1ic]

As one of the beta testers, I can tell you this bug has been known for months like pre beta. They've been looking into it since I think March or April? I'd have to check my logs to see but I can also say that it isn't always reproducible even on the same system.
Once it happens the only fix was to repair or reinstall windows. Sometimes you could go in and force windows to reload the drivers. Either way you do it, you had a 50/50 shot that it may, or may not happen again which is why, at least I believe, Microsoft ignored the bug logs. There's a lot of bug posts in the forums and this one was known for a long time.

 

[HungGuyNexrDoor]

Microsoft is going down hill faster and faster, maybe they should spend less time on making the same apps multiple times with slightly different names [ie) Outlook (classic), Outlook( new) Outlook for Windows; as well as other Microsoft apps within windows that has the same kind of thing as well] and random name (often the same name with something added in brackets behind (/icon changes that nobody likes.

Microsoft needs to get their act in gear, with them filling our PCs with essentially bloatware of already existing software that has a slight name change, different icon etc, all while the original of said apps are still existing and available in the Microsoft Store like the new "Windows App (formally known as Microsoft Remote Desktop)" all while Microsoft Remote Desktop is still available in the Microsoft store to download. And I'd like to note that Mail and Calendar app that came with Windows 10 and Windows 11, that they were "discontinuing in 2024" has not yet been discontinued fully.
They are all over the place and it's very clear that they don't know what they are doing anymore. Microsoft desperately needs Bill Gates needs to run his company again.

 

[Quixotic]

Microsoft is going down hill faster and faster, maybe they should spend less time on making the same apps multiple times with slightly different names [ie) Outlook (classic), Outlook( new) Outlook for Windows; as well as other Microsoft apps within windows that has the same kind of thing as well] and random name (often the same name with something added in brackets behind (/icon changes that nobody likes.

Microsoft needs to get their act in gear, with them filling our PCs with essentially bloatware of already existing software that has a slight name change, different icon etc, all while the original of said apps are still existing and available in the Microsoft Store like the new "Windows App (formally known as Microsoft Remote Desktop)" all while Microsoft Remote Desktop is still available in the Microsoft store to download. And I'd like to note that Mail and Calendar app that came with Windows 10 and Windows 11, that they were "discontinuing in 2024" has not yet been discontinued fully.
They are all over the place and it's very clear that they don't know what they are doing anymore. Microsoft desperately needs Bill Gates needs to run his company again.

Teams is a mess. Old and working Teams re-written using Webview2 and meant to offer so many improvments (who wanted these?). It is now slower, uses more resources, does not render properly (artifacts all over the window), does not share (shows black screen) etc etc. A complete shambles.

 

[ET3D]

Windows 11 24H2 increasingly shows how the Windows Insider program does nothing to improve Windows security and reliability.

No it doesn't. You have no idea how many more security issues and bugs would have existed without it. I imagine that the Insider programme helps quite a bit. All the bugs in 24H2 show is that it's not a magic bullet.

Which I think is natural especially when it comes to a bug like this. Most Insiders will be enthusiasts, which aren't really the crowd to use eSCL scanners.

 

[ZedRM]

No it doesn't. You have no idea how many more security issues and bugs would have existed without it. I imagine that the Insider programme helps quite a bit. All the bugs in 24H2 show is that it's not a magic bullet.

Which I think is natural especially when it comes to a bug like this. Most Insiders will be enthusiasts, which aren't really the crowd to use eSCL scanners.

You need to re-read what they said and try again.

 

[noblody]

It's called due-diligence. Before the internet, every company did it because they had no choice. One didn't just release buggy, glitchy software. And before you say things are different now, no it's not THAT different. Companies are simply lazy.

Speaking of software and OS I had a lot of windows 95/98/xp crashes, but haven't seen a windows 10/11 crash in ages if ever. Keep in mind windows 95 was a few MB in size, whereas windows 11 is a few GB. The complexity is orders of magnitude greater and still it is more stable. It seems to me things have improved quite a lot. Sure, problems still exist and sometimes they are hard to detect and fix.

 

[noblody]

Hello Linux, here I come!

I remember installing a network printer in linux and then when I wanted to print a page it wouldn't stop spitting out empty pages. The constant glitching of the updater that required me to do some manual steps because it failed to update itself and I could go on. That doesn't mean it is not usable, just not perfect, and not necessarily better than windows for the average user.

 

[FabriciusRex]

All those diversity hires are realy showing their worth. haha

 

[ET3D]

You need to re-read what they said and try again.

I've re-read. Still seems like a reasonable response to what was said.

There's a big difference between "not good enough" and "does nothing". It could do a whole lot and still not be good enough.

 

[ET3D]

I remember installing a network printer in linux and then when I wanted to print a page it wouldn't stop spitting out empty pages. The constant glitching of the updater that required me to do some manual steps because it failed to update itself and I could go on. That doesn't mean it is not usable, just not perfect, and not necessarily better than windows for the average user.

Agreed. Every time I tried Linux it was more problematic than Windows. Doesn't mean I won't try again, but it's certainly not a magical replacement for Windows.