Datto Windows Agent (DWA) Version 2.4 to 2.8: Release notes (2020 - 2021)

Topic

This article contains software release notes for older versions 2.4 to 2.8 of the Datto Windows Agent. from 2020 to 2021. These are all legacy versions of DWA that should no longer be in use.

For release notes on the latest DWA version 3.0 (current production), see Datto Windows Agent (DWA) Version 3.0 and above: Release notes

For older release notes prior to 2020, see Supporting Your Product: Datto Windows Agent (DWA) Version 2.1 to 2.2: Release notes (2019)

For Legacy version 2.0 and below, see our Supporting Your Product: Datto Windows Agent (DWA) Version 1.0 & 2.0: Release notes article.

For guidance about which Datto Windows Agent version is right for your protected system, review our Getting started with the Datto Windows Agent article.

Environment

Datto Windows Agent Version 2.1 to 2.8

Description

Releases

2021

2020

Release 2021-10-11

Agent version 2.8.0.0

The BCDR Windows Agent, DWA 2.8.0.0, is a maintenance and security release. This release includes a new driver, bug fixes and improvements. This is a push upgrade and will commence on October 11, 2021.

Highlights and major changes:

  • DWA 2.8.0.0 is primarily an auto-upgrade only release, DWA 3 will remain the latest DWA hosted at download.datto.com
  • If you have upgraded to DWA 3 you will not be impacted since DWA 3 incorporates applicable bug fixes and enhancements in 2.8
  • Legacy DWA 2 installer will be updated to 2.8.0
  • This is the last release with support for Vista/Server 2008
  • Agent versions < 2.8.0.0 will not be eligible to auto-upgrade to any future DWA 3.X versions.

Release 2020-12-04

Agent version 2.7.1.2

Hot Fix

Resolved an issue that could cause the protected system to boot to a 7B BSOD if an uninstall or upgrade of DWA did not complete properly.

Release 2020-10-19

Agent version 2.7.1.0 / Driver version 1.12.12.10

This release includes a driver update. Because a driver update requires an update and reboot of the host system, you will need to download and install this version manually.

Improvements

  • DWA installer now warns the user when the installer detects insufficient recommended system requirements.
  • Replaces DattoFltr with DattoFltrV2. Note: This replacement is handled by the installer therefore the only recommended way to install 1.12.12.10 drivers is via the DWA installer.
  • Various backend performance improvements and bug fixes have been implemented.

Bug Fixes

  • Resolved an issue where Datto Volume Filter Driver could be inadvertently removed by the Windows Driver Disk Cleanup handler.
  • Fixed a problem that could cause backups to fail with "Error 19"
  • Resolved an issue that could cause Windows to hang due to overly fragmented CoW files.

Release 2020-08-24

Agent version 2.6.3.0

  • Improvements
  • Improved backup error reporting. "Backup error occurred during backup run: Error occurred during reading of the protected volume" will now display for the following conditions:

    Bug Fixes

    • Various backend performance improvements and bug fixes

    Release 2020-06-29

    Agent version 2.6.0.0 / Driver version 1.12.12.9 - 2020-06-29

    Improvements

    • Auto-updates may now include a driver for download. Soon, you will no longer need to manually install updates that include new drivers. Automated driver updates will let MSPs and their organizations remain in operation using the last installed driver, updating the user space only, and waiting for next reboot to complete the driver upgrade. You'll always be able to have the newest Agent software and driver without having to interrupt your workflow to install updates manually.
    • DWA now checks to ensure the Datto Provider service is running and can automatically restart it if an issue is detected. This enhancement improves backup reliability and allows DWA to "self-correct" Datto Provider-related backups issues without partner intervention.
    • DWA will now automatically remove and re-create the datto.ctl file when it is determined to be the cause of a backup error. This enhancement will improve the reliability of backups and allow the Datto device to "self-correct" when it detects COW (copy on write) file related errors.
    • Various backend performance improvements and bug fixes have been implemented.

    Bug Fixes

    • Resolved an issue that could cause backups to fail with error: "The data area passed to a system call is too small"
    • Fixed a problem that caused auto-upgrades to fail when other processes denied file access
    • Resolved an issue that could cause full backups to fail on Windows 2019 devices

    Release 2020-05-18

    Agent version 2.5.1.0

    Bug Fixes

    • Fixed an issue that caused the DattoProvider service to be unregistered upon initial upgrade from DWA 2.0.X to 2.4.X/2.5X
    • Various backend performance improvements and bug fixes

    Release 2020-04-21

    Agent version 2.5.0.0 / Driver version 1.12.12.8

    Bug Fixes

    • Fixed an issue that could cause some protected machines to experience “soft-locks” (CPU usage spikes, unresponsive GUI, file explorer hanging, black screens).

    Release 2020-03-18

    Agent version 2.4.3.0

    Improvements

    • The Datto Windows Agent now supports new tools that can be used by Datto Technical Support to manually update root certificates in the event that the Datto device is unable to do so automatically.
    • The Datto Windows Agent now supports new tools that can be used by Datto Technical Support to collect diagnostic logs without the partner having to manually run commands. This new capability will save partners time and frustration when troubleshooting issues.
    • Various backend performance improvements and bug fixes have been made.

    Release 2020-02-26

    Agent version 2.4.0.0 / Driver version 1.12.12.7

    Improvements

    • Datto Windows Agent now has improved driver-specific error reporting for more precise problem diagnosis.
    • To improve troubleshooting capabilities, this release enables agent installations to log significant backup events to the Windows Application Event log.
    • To diagnose and resolve backup problems faster, Datto Support technicians can now obtain agent logs, driver versions, and agent snapshot status remotely. They can also remotely reset a Datto Windows Agent installation to a freshly-installed state to reduce the dependency on agent reinstallation as a troubleshooting step.

    Bug Fixes

    • Fixed an issue that could cause Windows Server 2019, 2016 Active Directory Servers or servers with DFS (Microsoft Distributed File System), to fail backups and lock up when using Datto Windows Agent 2.1.23 or 2.2
    • Resolved an issue that could cause a Windows Security dialog box to appear when repairing an agent
    • Fixed an issue that caused the backup status bytes transferred field to remain at zero throughout a backup
    • Resolved a problem where auto upgrades from 2.2.5 to 2.3.X would break the Datto Windows Agent on some platforms

    Additional Resources