PROLIFIC USB-TO-SERIAL COMM PORT WINDOWS 10

Hi,

Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Community.

I would suggest you to run Hardware and device troubleshooter and check if it helps:

b. Type troubleshooting in the search bar, click on troubleshooting.
c. Click on Hardware and Sound, click on Hardware and Devices.
d. Follow the steps from the wizard to run the troubleshooter.

For reference:

Install USB 3.0 and other USB devices

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/install-usb-3-usb-devices

Hope this information helps and let us know the status of the issue we will be glad to help you.

Hi,

I'm afraid that there is no solution...
There is lot's of people reporting problems with W10 and Prolific devices (based on popular PL2303 adapter).

Myself, I've the same problems with scrolling LED Badges, and USB to COM dongles. All this devices use a PL2303 to provide a connection to an USB port, but inside, they are RS232-like interface build (and appear as a COM port in your operating system). When you plug the device into USB, it is well recognized by W10 and it try to load the Prolific driver. This work fine, but looking at the configuration panel, you will then notice that there is an error code 10 and the driver is not working properly.

Of course, you can try to manually update the driver at Prolific site:

Download drivers from Prolific site

But, look carefully on this page and you will read an important notice in RED :

Windows 8/8.1/10 are NOT supported in PL-2303HXA and PL-2303X EOL (End Of Life) chip versions.

This is clear: if your device is using an old chip version of PL2303, the drivers not works with W10 (and W8).

As many people, you probably upgrade directly from W7 to W10, and sure, don't know that this problem was already present with W8. It's a shame from Prolific to not support this devices, because they are still used (my LED badges are less than a year old, and use EOL PL-2303 HX). Prolific's guys are fun when they said : "Prolific recommends to use PL-2303HXD (HX Rev D) or PL2303TA chip." .  Hey, but I can't do that myself !!!

I don't want to send my devices to trash because they are too old (less than a year !) to be supported by W10.

May be, a solution will be to use the old W7 drivers version into W10. Not tested... I will try...

After testing... FOUND THE SOLUTION !

Indeed, when installing W10, the device driver for PL-2303 is the latest version. You can check it, using the configuration panel: watch the COM and LPT section, you should have the "Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm (COM X)". Click on properties, and get the details:

the version driver (ser2pl.sys or ser2pl64.sys) should be something like 3.6.78.350

but this one doesn't work anymore with old PL-2303 hardware.

Sometimes, installing the latest version of drivers solve the problem, but in this case, this is the opposite.
The latest version doesn't work anymore with old hardware, and you need to downgrade the driver.

If you have previously used the PL-2303 (with W7) and upgrade to W10, it's simple because the previous versions of the drivers are still on your computer. To downgrade, use the configuration panel, choose COM and LPT and right click: the first choice should be "update driver" (or something similar: sorry, but I've the French version, and hope my translation is understandable).  On the next windows, choose the second option "Look for a driver on my computer". Another windows appear, and select the bottom option: "choose from a list on my computer". You should now have a list showing all versions of the driver available. By example:

- Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port Version: 3.3.3.114

- Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port Version: 3.4.48.272

- Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port Version: 3.6.78.350

You should select the old 3.3 (from 2009).

Later version, like 3.4 or 3.6 report error code 10.

I have tried with 3.3.2.102 and 3.3.3.114 and both works with old PL-2303 HXA/X hardware.

If you don't have the old versions of drivers, you can tried to install them from the minidisc provided with your product. On mine, I have two programs (32 and 64 bits) called "PL-2303 WIN7 Driver Installer.exe". Launch this program, it will install the driver. But, as soon as you plug the device on USB port, you W10 will revert to the latest version (3.6). If you watch the configuration panel, you will see the COM port coming OK, but then switch off because of error 10. It don't care, because the old version is now available in the list, and you can proceed as mentioned above. Once manually set, the device driver remain in the 3.3 release.

Tested on W10 family and pro, 32/64 bits.
The solution for old PL-2303 HXA/X : use a driver release older than 3.4.

Edit: The procedure above works, but only temporary. Each time you turn your computer off, the latest driver is reloaded due to windows auto-update (or if you unplug and plug again the device into USB port).

To avoid that, a recent turnaround exist and has been published by Microsoft. It's a tool named wushowhide.diagcab ("Show and Hide Update"). It allow to inhibit the auto-update for a particular program or driver (Prolific in our case).
For more informations and where to download this tool, take a look at this article : KB3073930

I have tested it and it work fine. The only problem with it, is that, it reload the latest driver when you plug the device on a never used USB port. So, if you change place of connection, you should manually set the driver to 3.3, but you have to do that only the first time you used this port. Next time, the driver remain to 3.3 and never upgrade to 3.6.

I have had the same prolific for the last two years running great on windows 7, now that I upgraded to windows 10 it has a code 10 error... How do I fix it? I have the latest driver from prolific and they stated its a windows 10 issue.

Here is the driver with the solution!!

http://wp.brodzinski.net/hardware/fake-pl2303-how-to-install/

Works on Windows 10! 

Had the same troubles after WIN10 clean install. My device had chip version PL-2303XA/HXA which according Prolific is EOL and discontinued as of WIN8.

Bought new device with PL-2303HXD chip, according Prolific supports WIN10 (32/64bit).

Installed driver v3.6.81.357 09/04/15. All according Prolific "PL2303 USB-to-Serial Bridge Chip Family Windows Driver Installer User Manual.

But error still persists!!!!!!!!!!!!

any hints? 

Hi

Thanks for the information it works a treat

Had the same troubles after WIN10 clean install. My device had chip version PL-2303XA/HXA which according Prolific is EOL and discontinued as of WIN8.

Bought new device with PL-2303HXD chip, according Prolific supports WIN10 (32/64bit).

Installed driver v3.6.81.357 09/04/15. All according Prolific "PL2303 USB-to-Serial Bridge Chip Family Windows Driver Installer User Manual.

But error still persists!!!!!!!!!!!!

any hints? 

My device concerned is a GlobalSat USB GPS Receiver type BU-353-S4 with SiRF Star IV GPS chipset.

In the meantime action according this guideline was successful:

"If you have an older version of the SiRFDemo, uninstall it and restart your computer.
(*Skip this step if you have the current one.)

Download and install this latest version (3.87):

http://www.usglobalsat.com/store/downloads/SiRFDemo387.zip

Run the Sirf Demo software.
Connect your device, choose the correct COM port, and select the 4800 baud rate.
Go to Action > Open Data Source.
Next, go to Action > Switch to SiRF Protocol.
Then, go to Action > Switch to NMEA Protocol.
In the pop-up window, select the 4800 baud rate under the Baud Rate and click Send.
Close the Sirf Demo software."

Remark:
- Check if newer s/w is available.
- Do exactly as described above and don’t click or change anything. This tool is for profs.

The GPS Receiver works perfectly now under Win10 and the Prolific driver v. 3.6.81.357 (04SEP2015).

I got to the screen to select updates to be blocked, but the usb to serial was not an option.

It did list  a bunch of things that I could block.

I prefer not to block all updates.

Stan

1) Download a driver (Ex. Prolific usb to rs232)

2) Right click on the setup and choose troubleshoot compatibility or run it as a program that is compatible for earlier version of windows 

3) Install Driver

4) Restart Computer

I just tried this and it worked but make sure you restart computer.