diff --git a/.github/release-notes.md b/.github/release-notes.md
index 88645a0..dc786cb 100644
--- a/.github/release-notes.md
+++ b/.github/release-notes.md
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ The source archive is the same tree a clone would have: unzip it and run
 `./start.sh` (Linux/macOS) or `start.bat` (Windows).  Direct SIMtrace2 capture
 on Linux additionally needs the attached `70-simtrace2-pysniff.rules` udev rule.
 
+The `.sh` launchers are for Linux/macOS only: on Windows use `start.bat` /
+`sniff-start.bat` from `cmd.exe` or PowerShell (WSL, Git Bash, MSYS2, MinGW and
+Cygwin are refused).
+
 **Runtime zip (no installer)** — `simtrace-analyser-*.zip`
 is the runtime tree only (packages, PWA, launchers, docs — no tests, no git):
 extract it anywhere and run `start.bat` (Windows) or `./start.sh`
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 60c6d5a..e677ab7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ http://127.0.0.1:8081/.
 The wheel includes the UI, so the server serves it by itself:
 
 ```sh
-pip install ./simtrace_analyser-2.7.13-py3-none-any.whl
+pip install ./simtrace_analyser-2.7.14-py3-none-any.whl
 simtrace-analyser-server --capture gsmtap
 ```
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ Every artifact is on the
 CLI can pick the latest one:
 
 ```sh
-pip install https://github.com/anttro/simtrace-analyser/releases/download/v2.7.13/simtrace_analyser-2.7.13-py3-none-any.whl
+pip install https://github.com/anttro/simtrace-analyser/releases/download/v2.7.14/simtrace_analyser-2.7.14-py3-none-any.whl
 # or:
 gh release download --pattern '*.whl'
 pip install ./simtrace_analyser-*.whl
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ pip install ./simtrace_analyser-*.whl
 
 ### 2. Zip (no installer)
 
-Download `simtrace-analyser-2.7.13.zip` from the release page and extract it
+Download `simtrace-analyser-2.7.14.zip` from the release page and extract it
 anywhere: it is the runtime tree (the Python packages, the web UI, the launchers
 and the docs — no tests, no git).  The archive works on any OS; then run:
 
@@ -167,6 +167,11 @@ start.bat --capture direct
 start.bat --capture disabled
 ```
 
+On Windows use `start.bat` / `sniff-start.bat` from `cmd.exe` or PowerShell:
+the `.sh` launchers refuse to run in WSL (the Linux guest cannot reach the
+Windows SIMtrace2 USB device) and in Git Bash / MSYS2 / MinGW / Cygwin (no
+Linux `/sys` + `/dev/bus/usb` view for the udev checks).
+
 Options pass through unchanged (`./start.sh --capture direct --port 8080`).
 
 The server logs its capture liveness to stderr (each line timestamped
diff --git a/README_RUS.md b/README_RUS.md
index a20dc15..ae349f7 100644
--- a/README_RUS.md
+++ b/README_RUS.md
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ http://127.0.0.1:8081/.
 Wheel содержит интерфейс внутри пакета, поэтому сервер отдаёт его сам:
 
 ```sh
-pip install ./simtrace_analyser-2.7.13-py3-none-any.whl
+pip install ./simtrace_analyser-2.7.14-py3-none-any.whl
 simtrace-analyser-server --capture gsmtap
 ```
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ Fedora), сначала создайте виртуальное окружени
 CLI — выбрать последнюю:
 
 ```sh
-pip install https://github.com/anttro/simtrace-analyser/releases/download/v2.7.13/simtrace_analyser-2.7.13-py3-none-any.whl
+pip install https://github.com/anttro/simtrace-analyser/releases/download/v2.7.14/simtrace_analyser-2.7.14-py3-none-any.whl
 # или:
 gh release download --pattern '*.whl'
 pip install ./simtrace_analyser-*.whl
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ pip install ./simtrace_analyser-*.whl
 
 ### 2. Zip (без установки)
 
-Скачайте `simtrace-analyser-2.7.13.zip` со страницы релиза и распакуйте в любое
+Скачайте `simtrace-analyser-2.7.14.zip` со страницы релиза и распакуйте в любое
 место: это рабочее дерево (пакеты Python, интерфейс, скрипты запуска и документация —
 без тестов и git). Архив подходит для любой ОС. Затем запустите.
 
@@ -169,6 +169,11 @@ start.bat --capture direct
 start.bat --capture disabled
 ```
 
+В Windows запускайте `start.bat` / `sniff-start.bat` из `cmd.exe` или
+PowerShell: `.sh`-скрипты отказываются работать в WSL (гостевая Linux-система
+не видит USB-устройство SIMtrace2) и в Git Bash / MSYS2 / MinGW / Cygwin (нет
+Linux-представления `/sys` + `/dev/bus/usb` для проверок udev).
+
 Параметры передаются как есть (`./start.sh --capture direct --port 8080`).
 
 Сервер пишет в stderr информацию о жизненном цикле захвата (каждая строка
diff --git a/frontend/index.html b/frontend/index.html
index 83a2718..3b50345 100644
--- a/frontend/index.html
+++ b/frontend/index.html
@@ -3389,7 +3389,7 @@ function onSearchChange() {
 }
 
 // ──────────────────── Versioning ────────────────────
-const PWA_VERSION = '2.7.13';
+const PWA_VERSION = '2.7.14';
 const MIN_SERVER_VERSION = '2.3.0';
 
 function parseVersion(v) {
diff --git a/frontend/sw.js b/frontend/sw.js
index 4e68b5d..03997a8 100644
--- a/frontend/sw.js
+++ b/frontend/sw.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const CACHE = 'simtrace-analyser-v95';
+const CACHE = 'simtrace-analyser-v96';
 
 const PRECACHE = [
     'index.html',
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 1e30800..11a0210 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "simtrace-analyser"
-version = "2.7.13"
+version = "2.7.14"
 description = "SIMtrace Analyser — APDU trace analyser for GSMTAP-SIM, SIMtrace2, PCAP/PCAPNG and COMPRION captures (bundles the simtrace2-pysniff utility)"
 readme = {file = "README.md", content-type = "text/markdown"}
 license = "MIT"
diff --git a/simtrace_analyser/version.py b/simtrace_analyser/version.py
index 06c51a7..77dc045 100644
--- a/simtrace_analyser/version.py
+++ b/simtrace_analyser/version.py
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 """Single source of truth for the SIMtrace Analyser version."""
 
-__version__ = '2.7.13'
+__version__ = '2.7.14'
diff --git a/sniff-start.sh b/sniff-start.sh
index a464121..ed22010 100755
--- a/sniff-start.sh
+++ b/sniff-start.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,20 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 shopt -s nullglob
 
+# Windows guard: sniff-start.sh is the native Linux/macOS launcher.  Under WSL
+# the Linux guest cannot reach the Windows SIMtrace2 USB device, and a Git Bash /
+# MSYS2 / MinGW / Cygwin shell has no Linux /sys + /dev/bus/usb view for the
+# permission pre-flight below.  Use sniff-start.bat from cmd.exe or PowerShell,
+# which drives the Windows Python/PyUSB stack.  A deliberate WSL/Cygwin flow can
+# run `python -m simtrace2_pysniff` directly.
+if grep -qi microsoft /proc/version 2>/dev/null || \
+   uname -s 2>/dev/null | grep -qiE 'MINGW|MSYS|CYGWIN'; then
+    echo "Error: sniff-start.sh is the Linux/macOS helper and cannot run on Windows" >&2
+    echo "(WSL / MSYS2 / MinGW / Cygwin detected)." >&2
+    echo "Use sniff-start.bat from a Windows command prompt (cmd.exe / PowerShell) instead." >&2
+    exit 2
+fi
+
 PROJECT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
 
 GSMTAP="${GSMTAP:-}"
diff --git a/start.sh b/start.sh
index 422feb2..0466b97 100755
--- a/start.sh
+++ b/start.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,20 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 shopt -s nullglob
 
+# Windows guard: start.sh is the native Linux/macOS launcher.  Under WSL the
+# Linux guest cannot reach the Windows SIMtrace2 USB device, and a Git Bash /
+# MSYS2 / MinGW / Cygwin shell has no Linux /sys + /dev/bus/usb view for the
+# udev pre-flight below.  Use start.bat from cmd.exe or PowerShell, which drives
+# the Windows Python/PyUSB stack.  A deliberate WSL/Cygwin flow can run
+# `python -m simtrace_analyser` directly.
+if grep -qi microsoft /proc/version 2>/dev/null || \
+   uname -s 2>/dev/null | grep -qiE 'MINGW|MSYS|CYGWIN'; then
+    echo "Error: start.sh is the Linux/macOS helper and cannot run on Windows" >&2
+    echo "(WSL / MSYS2 / MinGW / Cygwin detected)." >&2
+    echo "Use start.bat from a Windows command prompt (cmd.exe / PowerShell) instead." >&2
+    exit 2
+fi
+
 PROJECT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
 
 CAPTURE="${CAPTURE:-gsmtap}"
diff --git a/tests/test_launchers.py b/tests/test_launchers.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef2964f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_launchers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+"""Tests for the bash launchers' Windows-hosted-shell guard."""
+
+import os
+import shutil
+import stat
+import subprocess
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+
+REPO = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+BASH = shutil.which('bash')
+
+LAUNCHERS = (
+    ('start.sh', 'start.bat'),
+    ('sniff-start.sh', 'sniff-start.bat'),
+)
+
+
+@unittest.skipUnless(BASH, 'bash is not installed')
+class TestWindowsGuard(unittest.TestCase):
+    def _run_as_windows(self, script):
+        """Run *script* with a fake `uname -s` naming a mingw host."""
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+            fake = Path(tmp) / 'uname'
+            fake.write_text('#!/bin/sh\necho MINGW64_NT-10.0\n')
+            fake.chmod(0o755)
+            env = dict(os.environ)
+            env['PATH'] = tmp + os.pathsep + env.get('PATH', '')
+            return subprocess.run(
+                [BASH, str(REPO / script)], cwd=REPO, env=env,
+                capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=30)
+
+    def test_guard_exits_and_names_the_bat_launcher(self):
+        for script, bat in LAUNCHERS:
+            with self.subTest(script=script):
+                res = self._run_as_windows(script)
+                self.assertEqual(res.returncode, 2, res.stderr)
+                self.assertIn(
+                    'Error: %s is the Linux/macOS helper and cannot run on '
+                    'Windows' % script, res.stderr)
+                self.assertIn(
+                    '(WSL / MSYS2 / MinGW / Cygwin detected).', res.stderr)
+                self.assertIn(
+                    'Use %s from a Windows command prompt (cmd.exe / '
+                    'PowerShell) instead.' % bat, res.stderr)
+
+    def test_guard_detects_wsl_and_native_windows_shells(self):
+        # The mingw/msys/cygwin branch is exercised above; pin the WSL branch
+        # and the exit code so a refactor cannot drop either detection.
+        for script, _ in LAUNCHERS:
+            with self.subTest(script=script):
+                src = (REPO / script).read_text()
+                self.assertIn('grep -qi microsoft /proc/version', src)
+                self.assertIn('MINGW|MSYS|CYGWIN', src)
+                self.assertIn('exit 2', src)
+                self.assertLess(src.index('Windows guard'),
+                                src.index('PROJECT_DIR='),
+                                'the guard must run before the launcher setup')
+
+    def test_shell_syntax(self):
+        for script, _ in LAUNCHERS:
+            with self.subTest(script=script):
+                res = subprocess.run(
+                    [BASH, '-n', str(REPO / script)],
+                    capture_output=True, text=True)
+                self.assertEqual(res.returncode, 0, res.stderr)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/tests/test_pcap_import.py b/tests/test_pcap_import.py
index c826c4b..a23fe90 100644
--- a/tests/test_pcap_import.py
+++ b/tests/test_pcap_import.py
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ class TestImportEndpoint(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestVersion(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_package_version(self):
         from simtrace2_pysniff import __version__
-        self.assertEqual(__version__, '2.7.13')
+        self.assertEqual(__version__, '2.7.14')
 
     def test_status_includes_version(self):
         import os