ODBC connections are broken after a Windows Update

• Microsoft has disclosed that the Windows update which was released on November 8th has broken the ODBC connections.
• This issue might cause the SQL server and the applications that utilize ODBC SQL Server Driver to display error messages.
• This bug affects the client Windows versions starting from Windows 7 SP1 to the latest Windows 11 version as well as Server versions starting from Windows Server 2008 SP2, up to Windows Server 2022.

Microsoft, the tech giant, is continuously releasing updates for all of its products through Patch Tuesdays. However, sometimes things go wrong and break some features unexpectedly; just like what happened earlier this year broke the VPN connections. Now, the company states that November Patch Tuesday updates break the ODBC connections.

Affects many Windows versions

Microsoft has added a new entry to its November Patch Tuesday update notes’ Known Issues section. This entry indicates that the patch released on November 8 breaks the ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) connections for applications that use ODBC SQL Server Driver (sqlsrv32.dll). This problem will likely cause errors in the application or the SQL server, which might include the following messages:

• The EMS System encountered a problem. Message: [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver] Protocol error in TDS Stream.
• The EMS System encountered a problem. Message: [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver] Unknown token received from SQL Server.

Microsoft advises users to check their applications if they are using ODBC SQL Server Driver by launching them, then using the following command in the Command Prompt window:

tasklist /m sqlsrv32.dll

If you see tasks in the result, that means your applications in this list are affected.

This problem affects the client Windows versions starting from Windows 7 SP1 to the latest Windows 11 version as well as Server versions starting from Windows Server 2008 SP2, up to Windows Server 2022.

The company states that they are currently working on a solution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.