SOLVED USB-Irda adapter doesn't work with Windows 10

[Claude]

After upgrading Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, the USB-Irda adapter doesn't work anymore. It seems the Windows 10 system has removed the “IrDA” application in Windows 10 Control Panel console (that is supported on Windows 8.1 system), and there is no USB to IrDA device that can work on Windows 10 system so far. Yep, Sport swatches manufactured by Polar use IR protocol for exercise data transfer between watch and PC app and the same for expensive Uwatec dive computers. Millions of customers using Polar and Uwatec products, I suppose. Hope Microsoft realizes the error of their ways and that a lot of us are going to be pissed that our expensive Polar watches (450 $ +) and Uwatec dive computers (2,000 $ +) no longer work. The workaround rolling back to W7 or installing a virtual machine is not acceptable.

 

[Trouble]

Hello Claude and welcome to the forum.
Thanks for sharing that information.
It sounds like a very serious and frustrating problem.
Perhaps a Windows update, some of which are rolling out today might help get the software package working again.
Best of Luck.
Randy

 

[easterbird]

As follow up, today is 17 Dec and I just found out that my polar device with IR interface doesn't work! I have all recent updates to W10 and still doesn't work. Is this being addressed by Microsoft?

 

[Tim Locke]

There is no Windows 8 full install system for the device? That might well work even if it has to be installed in compatibility mode. Usually USB devices will work if you have the manufacturers install cd.

 

[Claude]

As follow up, today is 17 Dec and I just found out that my polar device with IR interface doesn't work! I have all recent updates to W10 and still doesn't work. Is this being addressed by Microsoft?

Can Microsoft please comment on why IrDA support was removed from Windows 10? And if it's coming back and if so, when? Many devices rely on IrDA such as sports watches, heart rate monitors and scuba dive computers.

Looking at different discussion sites, it appears that the IrDA stack was removed from Windows 10 with no explanation. This is affecting a lot of customers. And apparently it is now up to the hardware manufacturers who depend on IrDA to come up with a driver with the full IrDA stack when before they didn't need to do that. So perhaps some will come out with drivers that will work with Windows 10. But this still doesn't explain why Microsoft pulled support which caused a horrible customer experience for many many customers. Please speak up about this.



Here's a few links that I found around this issue, but there's no official word yet from Microsoft. Why the silence?



https://www.coolgear.com/news/windows-10-and-infrared-irda.html

https://social.technet.microsoft.co...pport-for-windows-10?forum=win10itprohardware

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/F.../windows-10-irda-usbirda-adapter-not-working-

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...r-driver/9d5e73cf-7a1a-4633-b6e1-186d8b42f97b

http://updates.polar.com/2015/07/windows-10-compatibility-with-polar-products-and-softwares/

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/scubapro/511628-irda-driver-windows-10-a.html

http://www.myce.com/news/dive-compu...rs-warned-to-not-upgrade-to-windows-10-77159/

http://www.tenforums.com/drivers-hardware/24624-usb-irda-devices-no-longer-work-w10.html

 

[Claude]

Can Microsoft please comment on why IrDA support was removed from Windows 10? And if it's coming back and if so, when? Many devices rely on IrDA such as sports watches, heart rate monitors and scuba dive computers.

Looking at different discussion sites, it appears that the IrDA stack was removed from Windows 10 with no explanation. This is affecting a lot of customers. And apparently it is now up to the hardware manufacturers who depend on IrDA to come up with a driver with the full IrDA stack when before they didn't need to do that. So perhaps some (not Polar see their post below) will come out with drivers that will work with Windows 10. But this still doesn't explain why Microsoft pulled support which caused a horrible customer experience for many many customers. Please speak up about this.

Here's a few links that I found around this issue, but there's no official word yet from Microsoft. Why the silence?

https://www.coolgear.com/news/windows-10-and-infrared-irda.html
https://social.technet.microsoft.co...pport-for-windows-10?forum=win10itprohardware
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/F.../windows-10-irda-usbirda-adapter-not-working-
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...r-driver/9d5e73cf-7a1a-4633-b6e1-186d8b42f97b
http://updates.polar.com/2015/07/windows-10-compatibility-with-polar-products-and-softwares/
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/scubapro/511628-irda-driver-windows-10-a.html
http://www.myce.com/news/dive-compu...rs-warned-to-not-upgrade-to-windows-10-77159/
http://www.tenforums.com/drivers-hardware/24624-usb-irda-devices-no-longer-work-w10.html

Post from the Polar WEB site
ProTrainer 5 can be installed to a Windows 10 computer, however the software is not fully compatible, as synchronization is not possible since the IrDA USB adapter is not compatible with Windows 10.

(Update 10th of August 2015) We would like to remind you that if you choose to change the operating system of your computer which is not listed in the packaging of the IrDa USB adapter, that this might result in the situation where the data transfer might not work anymore. Polar will not launch a new driver to support the IrDa USB adapter for the new Windows 10 operating system. Polar USB IrDA adapter is compatible with Microsoft Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/Vista/Win7. The compatibility information can be found from the set package or the product sticker on the package.

We encourage you (OF COURSE) to shift over to our new Flow compatible products for full product support. For further information about the Flow compatible products and services, please contact your local Polar distributor. We are happy to help you choose the best Flow compatible product for your needs.

 

[Tim Locke]

I see a line dated December 18th 2015 that IRDA and Polar is working in Insider build 11082. This right at the end of the thread in https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/F.../windows-10-irda-usbirda-adapter-not-working- listed above.

"irda and polar is working again with windows 10 insider Preview 11082, just sycronized both my watches" by tjatte

So maybe there is hope. I have 11082 but no IRDA devices so I can't test.

 

[Claude]

I see a line dated December 18th 2015 that IRDA and Polar is working in Insider build 11082. This right at the end of the thread in https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/F.../windows-10-irda-usbirda-adapter-not-working- listed above.

"irda and polar is working again with windows 10 insider Preview 11082, just sycronized both my watches" by tjatte

So maybe there is hope. I have 11082 but no IRDA devices so I can't test.

I have lots IrDA devices but not Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 11082. I will wait for the regular update.

 

[Tim Locke]

No-one you know close to you is an Insider? I would bet that the drivers and dlls would install on 10586.36 if one could find someone to help...I wonder if it would be worth asking on a Microsoft forum.

 

[Claude]

No-one you know close to you is an Insider? I would bet that the drivers and dlls would install on 10586.36 if one could find someone to help...I wonder if it would be worth asking on a Microsoft forum.

Thank you for the suggestion but Win 10 is buggy enough as is. I will wait for the regular update.

 

[Jaroslav]

After upgrading Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, the USB-Irda adapter doesn't work anymore. It seems the Windows 10 system has removed the “IrDA” application in Windows 10 Control Panel console (that is supported on Windows 8.1 system), and there is no USB to IrDA device that can work on Windows 10 system so far. Yep, Sport swatches manufactured by Polar use IR protocol for exercise data transfer between watch and PC app and the same for expensive Uwatec dive computers. Millions of customers using Polar and Uwatec products, I suppose. Hope Microsoft realizes the error of their ways and that a lot of us are going to be pissed that our expensive Polar watches (450 $ +) and Uwatec dive computers (2,000 $ +) no longer work. The workaround rolling back to W7 or installing a virtual machine is not acceptable.

Windows10 release 11099 Enterprise supports IrDa with RS400

I have tested.

 

[easterbird]

Windows10 release 11099 Enterprise supports IrDa with RS400

I have tested.

Great news. How does one get release 11099?

 

[Jaroslav]

It is release for Insider Preview testers.

 

[easterbird]

bummer...well at least the problem is being addressed and the rest of us may someday be able to completely utilize polar products with IRda....again. Thanks for the heads up and I await Microsoft as always!

 

[baldqban]

Does anyone have a clue as to when builds 11082 and 11099 will show up as regular Windows 10 updates?

I joined the insider program and could get the builds. However,after 32 years in IT (yeah! mainframes) I am not a developer any longer, and don't really feel like starting installing OS releases after OS releases and beta test Microsoft "products"- I just want my SubGear XP10 dive computer with Uwatec dongle to communicate with Win 10 just like they do with Win 7 and XP.

I should have known better, but I decided to "upgrade" the notebook 8.1 machine to Win 10 three days before leaving on a dive trip. Guess what: the dive computer and the notebook couldn't communicate and I ended up losing dive data as they rolled off the dive computer without being downloaded first. I guess Microsoft doesn't care about us divers or bikers. If they had done this to Enterprise users I bet it would have been a different story

I guess I have the option to roll back the Win 10 machine to Win 8..1 (ugh), and keep the Win 7 machine until they fix this mess, but what will happen when the "free upgrade" period ends?

C'mon Microsoft! Stop this game and fix the damage you've inflicted to thousands of users who now can't use expensive devices thanks to a short sighted decision

 

[Tim Locke]

Are you running the current production W10? 10586.164 ? I just did a search through the Windows directory and there do seem to be some driver type files for IRDA.

Have you checked device manager to see if there is an IRDA device visible.


If your IRDA device is a USB dongle I guess it would need a driver from the manufacturer.

 

[Claude]

Does anyone have a clue as to when builds 11082 and 11099 will show up as regular Windows 10 updates?

I joined the insider program and could get the builds. However,after 32 years in IT (yeah! mainframes) I am not a developer any longer, and don't really feel like starting installing OS releases after OS releases and beta test Microsoft "products"- I just want my SubGear XP10 dive computer with Uwatec dongle to communicate with Win 10 just like they do with Win 7 and XP.

I should have known better, but I decided to "upgrade" the notebook 8.1 machine to Win 10 three days before leaving on a dive trip. Guess what: the dive computer and the notebook couldn't communicate and I ended up losing dive data as they rolled off the dive computer without being downloaded first. I guess Microsoft doesn't care about us divers or bikers. If they had done this to Enterprise users I bet it would have been a different story

I guess I have the option to roll back the Win 10 machine to Win 8..1 (ugh), and keep the Win 7 machine until they fix this mess, but what will happen when the "free upgrade" period ends?

C'mon Microsoft! Stop this game and fix the damage you've inflicted to thousands of users who now can't use expensive devices thanks to a short sighted decision

 

[Claude]

Same thing for me - Claude

 

[Tim Locke]

The 110xx series of builds may never show up in regular updates. I am suggesting that insider stuff from that era may be in the latest production build so have you tried it?

 

[baldqban]

Are you running the current production W10? 10586.164 ? I just did a search through the Windows directory and there do seem to be some driver type files for IRDA.

Indeed running vesion 1511 (build 10586.164)​

Have you checked device manager to see if there is an IRDA device visible

Yes. When I insert the dongle device manager sees the infrared device.

If I do "Properties" the first time it told me the name of the manufacturer - Asix Electronics. Located at Port_#0002Hub_#00002 It told me the driver needed update. I let it update. The device status tells me it cannot load the driver - the driver may be corrupted or missing (Code 39) - Object name missing. I let it update again, it tells me it is up to date. I have the latest version.

The driver window says

Driver Provider: ASIX Electronics Corporation
Driver Date: 7/1/2013
Driver Version: 1.3.2.0
Digital Signer: Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher​

The driver details window then shows:

The driver file name is irenum.sys.
The file version is 10.0.10586.0 (th2_release 151029-1700)
Copyright Microsoft
Digital Signer: Microsoft Windows​

And finally the details window has tons of nifty properties, including a funny one "has problem" with a value of <true> ... really? ​

If your IRDA device is a USB dongle I guess it would need a driver from the manufacturer.

Well, from the above exercise it would seem there is a driver, from Asix. Copyright by Microsoft, that doesn't work. ​

By the way, when I plug the dongle in the Win 7 machine (where it works just fine) the properties show the manufacturer and the driver provider to be MosChip Semiconductor Technology but when you drill down into the driver files details, it has two files: the irenum.sys as shown above, plus another one: MoslrUSB.sys

Maybe the above provides some useful info?​