The BMW Scanner 1.4.0 uses a USB-to-OBD cable with a BMW 20-pin round adapter (for older models) or just an OBD2 connector for E46/E39/E38/E53, etc.
Inside is an FTDI or CH340 USB serial chip. Most clones use CH340.
Yes, but with caveats. Windows 11 has stricter driver signing and memory integrity (HVCI). To run BMW Scanner 1.4.0 drivers on Windows 11: bmw scanner 140 drivers
Many users report success on Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2 after following the COM port restriction (COM1-4 only). The BMW Scanner 1
A: No. The 1.4.0 scanner only supports K-Line and early DCAN cars (roughly pre-2008). For F-series and G-series, you need ENET or ICOM. Yes, but with caveats