Windows 11: 24H2 update blockage with SenseShield protection installed
Microsoft has acknowledged incompatibilities of the Windows 11-24H2 update with drivers of SenseShield protection software.
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If programs are protected with software or dongles from SenseShield, this can lead to problems under Windows 11 with the 24H2 update. Microsoft has now acknowledged this and is enforcing an update block on affected systems with a Safeguard ID.
In the Windows Release Health Notes, Microsoft writes that the sprotect.sys driver in versions 1.0.2.372 and 1.0.3.48903 is problematic. It is used to protect encryption and is used by special security software and in enterprise solutions. According to the Redmond developers, the driver can automatically land on Windows systems as part of the installation of many different, but specifically unnamed apps.
Windows systems no longer respond
As the company goes on to explain, if the 24H2 update for Windows 11 is installed, the driver can cause affected devices to stop responding and display a blue screen or black screen error.
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Microsoft has therefore set up the Safeguard ID 56318982, which means that the update will not be offered on machines with the incompatible driver versions on the Windows Update release channel. In this case, the Windows Update page in the settings under Windows Home and Pro displays a message that no action is required now; next to it appears a "Learn more" link that leads to a website with more details.
As usual in such situations, Microsoft recommends not attempting to install the update manually, for example using the Windows 11 installation wizard or Media Creation Tool, until the problem has been resolved. According to Microsoft, SenseShield is investigating the problem, and the Redmond-based company is working with them to find a solution to unblock the update.
Last week, Microsoft was able to remove such a Safeguard ID for systems with the game "Asphalt 8" installed. Since the release of the 24H2 update last fall, there have already been several update blockades, but most of them have since been removed again because either Microsoft has taken countermeasures with an update or the manufacturers have got to grips with compatibility problems with their software with their own updates.
(dmk)
