<p><span>If you own a USB to RS-232 Dongle that you are using with Windows, and it uses the FTDI chipset, you might want to consider NOT upgrading to the latest FTDI drivers. FTDI's new driver will brick (as in render useless) any device that uses a fake FTDI chipset. So before you upgrade, make sure you have a real FTDI chip by checking with the manufacturer or searching the Internet.</span></p><p><span><br></span></p><p><span>You can check the chipset used by looking at the driver in the Windows Device Manager.</span></p><p><span><br></span></p><p><span>This also applies to any device that has a built-in FTDI chip used to convert USB to RS-232.</span></p><p><span><br></span></p><p><span style="line-height:1.25;word-spacing:normal;">More detailed info here:</span><br></p><p><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/windows-update-drivers-bricking-usb-serial-chips-beloved-of-hardware-hackers/">Windows Update drivers bricking USB serial chips beloved of hardware hackers</a><br></p><div style="width:450px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', 'san-serif', 'Roboto';" id="enhancrCard_2" class="link-enhancr-attachment link-enhancr-element"> <table class="link-enhancr-element" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="width:450px;height:170px;margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;display:block;"> <tbody><tr class="link-enhancr-element"> <td colspan="6" class="link-enhancr-element" style="height:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="height:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"></div> </td> </tr> <tr class="link-enhancr-element"> <td rowspan="2" class="link-enhancr-element" style="width:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="width:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"></div> </td>  <td class="link-enhancr-element" rowspan="2" style="vertical-align:middle;width:168px;height:168px;background-color:#000000;"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="width:168px;" align="center"> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/windows-update-drivers-bricking-usb-serial-chips-beloved-of-hardware-hackers/" class="link-enhancr-card-urlWrapper link-enhancr-element" style="text-decoration:none;color:#000000;"> <img alt="image" src="http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/387994380_81ee8a85cb_z.jpg" class="link-enhancr-thumbnail-image link-enhancr-element" width="168" height="126" style="display:block;margin:auto;"> </a> </div> </td> <td rowspan="2" class="link-enhancr-element" style="width:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="width:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"></div> </td>  <td class="link-enhancr-element" colspan="2" style="width:100%;vertical-align:middle;font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', 'san-serif', 'Roboto';"> <div class="link-enhancr-text-part link-enhancr-element" style="line-height:16.5px;background-color:#ffffff;height:130px;width:279px;"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="word-wrap:break-word;padding:7px 20px 0px 14px;"> <span class="link-enhancr-element icon icon-shrink link-enhancr-toggle"></span> <span class="link-enhancr-element icon icon-close link-enhancr-delete"></span> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/windows-update-drivers-bricking-usb-serial-chips-beloved-of-hardware-hackers/" class="link-enhancr-card-urlWrapper link-enhancr-element" style="text-decoration:none;color:#000000;"> <span class="link-enhancr-element link-enhancr-card-title" style="margin:0;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:4px;font-size:18px;line-height:21px;max-height:43px;color:#000000;overflow:hidden;display:inline-block;">Windows Update drivers bricking USB serial chips b...</span> </a>  <div style="font-size:13px;line-height:20px;color:#999999;max-height:81px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', 'san-serif', 'Roboto';overflow:hidden;" class="link-enhancr-card-description link-enhancr-element">The move to combat counterfeit chips leaves hobbyists stuck in the middle.</div>  </div> </div> </td> <td class="link-enhancr-element" rowspan="2" style="width:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="width:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td class="link-enhancr-element" style="width:100%;vertical-align:middle;font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', 'san-serif', 'Roboto';"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="font-size:0pt;padding:7px 20px 9px 15px;"> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/windows-update-drivers-bricking-usb-serial-chips-beloved-of-hardware-hackers/" class="link-enhancr-card-url link-enhancr-element" style="color:black;text-decoration:none;cursor:pointer;"> <span class="link-enhancr-element link-enhancr-view-on" style="display:inline-block;line-height:11px;max-width:179px;min-width:119px;overflow:hidden;max-height:13px;"> <span class="link-enhancr-element link-enhancr-mobile-no-resize" style="vertical-align:middle;font-size:9px;line-height:11px;color:#999999;"> View on <span style="font-weight:bold;">arstechnica.com</span> </span> </span> </a>  </div> </td> <td class="link-enhancr-element" style="vertical-align:middle;width:100px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', 'san-serif', 'Roboto';"> <div class="link-enhancr-element link-enhancr-preview-wrapper" style="padding:9px 20px 12px 0px;max-width:100px;min-width:80px;overflow:hidden;text-align:right;line-height:11px;max-height:13px;font-size:0pt;"> <span class="link-enhancr-element link-enhancr-preview-by link-enhancr-mobile-no-resize" style="line-height:11px;vertical-align:middle;font-size:9px;line-height:11px;color:#999999;"> Preview by Yahoo </span> </div> </td> </tr>  <tr class="link-enhancr-element"> <td class="link-enhancr-element" colspan="6" style="height:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="height:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"></div> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div><p><br></p><p>... and here ...</p><p><span><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/ftdi-driver-kills-fake-ftdi-ft232/">FTDI driver kills fake FTDI FT232?? - Page 1</a><br></span></p><div style="width:450px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', 'san-serif', 'Roboto';" id="enhancrCard_1" class="link-enhancr-attachment link-enhancr-element"> <table class="link-enhancr-element" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="width:450px;height:170px;margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;display:block;"> <tbody><tr class="link-enhancr-element"> <td colspan="6" class="link-enhancr-element" style="height:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="height:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"></div> </td> </tr> <tr class="link-enhancr-element"> <td rowspan="2" class="link-enhancr-element" style="width:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="width:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"></div> </td>  <td class="link-enhancr-element" rowspan="2" style="vertical-align:middle;width:168px;height:168px;background-color:#000000;"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="width:168px;" align="center"> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/ftdi-driver-kills-fake-ftdi-ft232/" class="link-enhancr-card-urlWrapper link-enhancr-element" style="text-decoration:none;color:#000000;"> <img alt="image" src="http://gotroot.ca/media/oinkav.png" class="link-enhancr-thumbnail-image link-enhancr-element" width="168" height="168" style="display:block;margin:auto;"> </a> </div> </td> <td rowspan="2" class="link-enhancr-element" style="width:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="width:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"></div> </td>  <td class="link-enhancr-element" colspan="2" style="width:100%;vertical-align:middle;font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', 'san-serif', 'Roboto';"> <div class="link-enhancr-text-part link-enhancr-element" style="line-height:16.5px;background-color:#ffffff;height:130px;width:279px;"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="word-wrap:break-word;padding:7px 20px 0px 14px;"> <span class="link-enhancr-element icon icon-shrink link-enhancr-toggle"></span> <span class="link-enhancr-element icon icon-close link-enhancr-delete"></span> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/ftdi-driver-kills-fake-ftdi-ft232/" class="link-enhancr-card-urlWrapper link-enhancr-element" style="text-decoration:none;color:#000000;"> <span class="link-enhancr-element link-enhancr-card-title" style="margin:0;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:4px;font-size:18px;line-height:21px;max-height:43px;color:#000000;overflow:hidden;display:inline-block;">FTDI driver kills fake FTDI FT232?? - Page 1</span> </a>  <div style="font-size:13px;line-height:20px;color:#999999;max-height:81px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', 'san-serif', 'Roboto';overflow:hidden;" class="link-enhancr-card-description link-enhancr-element">FTDI driver kills fake FTDI FT232?? - Page 1</div>  </div> </div> </td> <td class="link-enhancr-element" rowspan="2" style="width:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="width:1px;background-color:#e5e5e5;"></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td class="link-enhancr-element" style="width:100%;vertical-align:middle;font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', 'san-serif', 'Roboto';"> <div class="link-enhancr-element" style="font-size:0pt;padding:7px 20px 9px 15px;"> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/ftdi-driver-kills-fake-ftdi-ft232/" class="link-enhancr-card-url link-enhancr-element" style="color:black;text-decoration:none;cursor:pointer;"> <span class="link-enhancr-element link-enhancr-view-on" style="display:inline-block;line-height:11px;max-width:179px;min-width:119px;overflow:hidden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