Windows 24H2 update says SEB should be uninstalled before upgrading

[NekoJonez]

We are updating our devices to 24H2 and we get this:

Now, we installed Safe Exam Browser via Chocolatey and pushing it via Intune (Endpoint).

[dbuechel]

Could you please translate the entire message of the Windows update dialog? And which SEB version do you have currently installed?

[NekoJonez]

Behind the Windows 11 upgrade dialogue, you notice that it's updating PowerShell and updating to Windows 24H2. The usual Windows UI in the update settings.

Then the blue title says: "Let's check what needs to happen first". Underneath: "Process the following points if you want to continue with the installation and your Windows settings, and you want to keep personal files and apps." "Why did I see this?"

"Safe Exam Browser (Wu Offer Block) - Manual removal" "Remove this app now since it's no comptabile with Windows 11".

[MikuAuahDark]

From https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-health/status-windows-11-24h2#234msgdesc

After installing Windows 11, version 24H2, you will experience issues while opening the Safe Exam Browser app if you are running version 3.7 or lower versions of this application. To safeguard your update experience, we have applied a compatibility hold on devices using versions 3.7 or older of this app.

For anyone who got that window telling to uninstall SEB: Close the setup window, which then the IA will tell you something's wrong. Update SEB to 3.8.0+ before trying again. Once you updated SEB, retry updating again and it should allow you to continue upgrading.

[dbuechel]

Thanks for the most valuable information @MikuAuahDark! This is absolutely new to me and I have not the slightest idea why SEB version 3.7.x or lower would be incompatible with Windows 11 24H2...

Safe Exam Browser and Microsoft are working on a resolution, and we will provide more information when it is available.

- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-health/status-windows-11-24h2#234msgdesc

That is also news to me, as up and until today, nobody from MSFT has reached out to us providing any further information or explanation due to a potential issue.

[NekoJonez]

A potential bug this is creating @dbuechel, is that I have seen on some of my spare laptops that students use... That SEB v3.7.0 gets installed AND 3.8.0 ... And for some bizar reason, there is a chance v3.7.0 gets launched and shits the bed trying to close processes that aren't even running. We can solve it by removing both versions and installing it clean. But, this might be an unrelated issue since we push SEB via Microsoft Intune

[MikuAuahDark]

This is absolutely new to me and I have not the slightest idea why SEB version 3.7.x or lower would be incompatible with Windows 11 24H2...

It looks like related to #935. App needs to request permission for certain APIs in 24H2.

[NekoJonez]

This is absolutely new to me and I have not the slightest idea why SEB version 3.7.x or lower would be incompatible with Windows 11 24H2...

It looks like related to #935. App needs to request permission for certain APIs in 24H2.

This might be a good one to look at.

[dbuechel]

It looks like related to https://github.com/SafeExamBrowser/seb-win-refactoring/issues/935. App needs to request permission for certain APIs in 24H2.

Thanks for the hint @MikuAuahDark! I think that must be the issue then, but as already stated in the linked issue, the API permission request is already implemented in version 3.8.0. I also fail to understand why the new permission handling for the location API makes the entirety of Safe Exam Browser for Windows "incompatible" according to M$FT, but I reckon they have their reasons...

[dbuechel]

That SEB v3.7.0 gets installed AND 3.8.0 ... And for some bizar reason, there is a chance v3.7.0 gets launched and shits the bed trying to close processes that aren't even running.

That's really almost not possible, as all SEB for Windows (at least the 3.x versions) declare the exact same product code for installation. SEB for Windows is furthermore installed at the exact same file system location for all 3.x versions, so it is physically impossible to have two (standard and official) SEB release versions installed in parallel.

[github-actions[bot]]

This issue is stale because it has been open for 28 days with no activity. It will soon be closed automatically if there are no updates.

[github-actions[bot]]

This issue was closed because it has been inactive for 14 days since being marked as stale.