Microsoft’s 24H2 woes are not letting up. To add to the ever-growing list of issues with the new Windows 11 2024 update, scanning devices aren’t working properly with it anymore. There’s no patch available yet and no clear timeline for when it’ll be fixed.
People have been complaining in online forums that scanning equipment has stopped connecting to Windows 11 after the update. Since then, Microsoft has added this bug to the list of known issues with version 24H2. “After installing Windows 11, version 24H2, you might experience issues discovering USB connected devices that support the eSCL (eScanner Communication Language) scan protocol,” the official bug report reads.
Standalone and multi-function scanning equipment with this technology might have trouble connecting with PCs running the new Windows 11. Other than certain document scanners, barcode scanners and RFID readers use the eSCL protocol.
Typically, you need to install a driver to connect a scanner with a PC. With the eSCL protocol, a scanning device can work with any platform over Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or USB without drivers. You can either connect to an eSCL-supported device over the network or over a USB cable, but not both at the same time.
Windows 11 24H2 is having trouble discovering these scanners when you switch from a network to a USB connection. “This issue is caused due to the device not switching out of eSCL mode to USB mode, which allows the scanner drivers to be matched,” Microsoft explained further.
Microsoft is currently working on resolving the issue, alongside the many other 24H2 bugs. For now, it’s blocking the 24H2 update for any PCs that have devices connected over the eSCL protocol “such as printers, fax machines, modems, and network devices.” The bug report also warns against manually upgrading to Windows 11 2H24 if you or your organization rely on such equipment. The only way to resolve these connectivity troubles right now is to uninstall the update and roll back Windows 11 to an older version.
Source: Microsoft
