IRDA for Windows 10

[fmerkel]

DAMN!!! Another reason to NEVER update to the newest version until you have no other choice. They've been doing a ****** job since 1803 and 1809 was seriously screwed up.

Can you roll back to the previous driver? Or is the OS itself screwing it up?

 

[VOGH]

The old drivers are still there (in Windows.old). However, installation does not work (code 19 in device manager). Tried several ways to install. At least one of the drivers that was displayed in device manager with Windows 1809 (irenum.sys) will never be installed. And a simple copy does not solve this problem, of course. - OK, maybe the Sigmatel IrDA bridge is really too old. The Galileos are still doing a very good job.
Fortunately, we still have a running Windows 1809 version .
I just wanted to make the community aware of this problem as soon as possible.
My Scubapro dealer tries to find a dongle to verify the claim that the Scubapro USB IrDA really works as they wrote me in an E-mail. Nobody wants to order this expensive thing and then send it back if it doesn't work.
It would be great if someone read this post and could say "It works" - or not.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I bought silver polar and with my version of Windows 10 version 1809 it refuses to work. What version of Windows do you have? I do not understand where the problem is in the Windows system or in the adapter?

I have version 1709. I refuse to update unless I absolutely need to. The dongle I got on Ebay still works fine.

 

[gr8jab]

Use a phone book to find a Blockbuster and rent Tron on BetaMax.

Ha, sorry, just kidding. Not trying to be snarky.

As someone who has worked for large PC developers and with Microsoft, I hope that everyone really understands the huge cost of supporting legacy hardware in modern systems. I cannot blame Scubapro nor Microsoft for the dwindling and intermittent support for IrDA. The cost in time and money to maintain support for a myriad of old hardware is astronomically high. With so few users requesting such support, they cannot justify spending millions of dollars maintaining and testing all the technology and hardware from 25 years ago.

In fact, you would not want them to try. For Microsoft, maintaining code and support for old hardware would bloat the already enormous footprint of their OS, slow down it's performance on your PC even more, delay the release of new features and updates to a crawl, and leave your personal data and security vulnerable to hackers. For Scubapro, the cost of hardware would go up by 2x or 3x to pay for the ongoing maintenance and certification of drivers.

I know that many here love their older computers with IrDA, and will continue to try to find functional hardware/software combinations to keep them working. It is totally understandable. However, I would caution you to consider the technological and financial costs and (lack of) benefits therein before you demonize hardware and software manufacturers.

*edit* Seems the harsh words were back in 2015 on this thread... sorry for talking about such an old subject when the recent posts were just the friendly sharing of information *end edit*

*edit 2* Not keeping your software updated is a huge security risk. Identity theft is real and happens all the time. Without software patches, your PC is wide open to hackers *end edit 2*

 

[VOGH]

In the meantime I received a new original "UWATEC USB1.1 IR778 Dongle". And it doesn't work with the new Windows 10, 1903! (No problems with 1809 and even with MacOS 10.14.5.) Not really unexpected if you know that inside it has a MosChip Semiconductor Technology 7780 for which others already found that it does not work, cf. https://answers.microsoft.com/de-de...essageId=0f379ac4-c1ce-489a-b93f-073a24de86f4
It seems that only Microsoft can solve the problem and should do so, in spite of the comments of gr8jab. I understand what gr8jab means, but please note that the Galileo computer is still sold (and very good). And it seems that only some old parts (like irenum.sys) should be integrated again.
Maybe this was just a check, whether this old interface is still in use.

 

[fmerkel]

I wonder if they trashed the infrared stack AGAIN, like they did when Win10 first came out? BIG outrage in the running/exercise device category (heart rate monitors and the like) that worked off IRDA. It was not the IRDA drivers, it was MS deliberately removing the required services.

OR, if they just screwed up....AGAIN.

Win10 upgrades are getting themselves a very bad reputation. WAY TOO MANY UPGRADES, not enough testing and QA.

 

[fmerkel]

*edit 2* Not keeping your software updated is a huge security risk. Identity theft is real and happens all the time. Without software patches, your PC is wide open to hackers *end edit 2*

In the new Win10 world UPDATING your OS/software/patches can be anything from a pain to disastrous. I can give you LOTS of data should you want it, but Google will do the job easily.

Patching is one thing, totally screwing it up is another.
Ramming it into your system against your will is yet another. MS has crossed a line......

 

[gr8jab]

In the new Win10 world UPDATING your OS/software/patches can be anything from a pain to disastrous. I can give you LOTS of data should you want it, but Google will do the job easily.

Patching is one thing, totally screwing it up is another.
Ramming it into your system against your will is yet another. MS has crossed a line......

Yes, I disagree with forced upgrades too. Users should be left alone to choose. I have an older computer that I didn't want Win10, and it was very hard to avoid. My daughter accidentally accepted it one day and I was stuck. It turned out OK, and now I'm glad, but I was avoiding it for a while.

I'm not saying there are not problems, especially for people with older hardware or who delay updates and then batch them in huge chunks. BUT, the security holes are also well documented and frequently exploited by criminals. Either way is a risk, and it depends on your tolerance. Personally, I prefer the chances of instability (which personally has not happened yet to me) to ransom-ware invading my home network.

Also, as is with Scuba Diving incidents and accidents, a normal day doesn't warrant reporting and documenting online, but a problem does. We hear about the bad stuff online, but don't know how many 'normal days' occur. I'm curious if Microsoft makes public (or can even track) their update success rates.

How much better is a Mac ???

 

[fmerkel]

I can confirm that Win10x64 Pro ver. 1903 DOES INDEED SCREW UP THE INFRARED.

I did a deliberate update from 1809 > 1903, keeping data and allowing updates. Infrared did work, now it doesn't. I get this in Device Manager:

[ASIX Electronics Corporation - Port_#0003.Hub_#0003 - Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. (Code 19)]
This is the generic "silver bullet" infrared I've been using for years.

Updating the driver does not work. Using Windows update does not work.
If this is an important feature for you....DO NOT UPDATE BEYOND ver. 1809. 1803 is fine.

 

[undrwater]

irda is still updated in the Linux kernel. The use case for this technology has become quite limited. I don't think it's going to get better outside of the open source community.