windows 8 does not support Prolific usb to serial driver

Anonymous
2012-12-16T07:15:01+00:00

windows 8 does not support Prolific usb to serial driver

what is the solution ?

We want to use windows 8 but due to this driver problem, we are not buying windows 8

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2013-02-26T21:16:26+00:00

windows 8 does not support Prolific usb to serial driver

what is the solution ?

We want to use windows 8 but due to this driver problem, we are not buying windows 8

Figure out when the hardware device manufacturer will be providing you with drivers for the hardware you want to use under the OS you want to use.  If they are not - then there you go.

Wrong answer. These drivers worked flawlessly with Win7, and now they are broken in Win8. Probably some simple switch in the device driver layer, and perhaps it is, indeed, a bug actually in the driver that is now exposed in Win8...but in the meantime I am telling all my customers, who depend on their GPS's functioning, to downgrade to Win7. 

Regardless of where the bug actually is, it is a backwards compat issue that breaks the interfacing of many GPS;s to Windows.

Was this answer helpful?

30+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2012-12-16T07:22:51+00:00

windows 8 does not support Prolific usb to serial driver

what is the solution ?

We want to use windows 8 but due to this driver problem, we are not buying windows 8

Figure out when the hardware device manufacturer will be providing you with drivers for the hardware you want to use under the OS you want to use.  If they are not - then there you go.

Was this answer helpful?

10+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

83 additional answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2015-09-22T00:00:35+00:00

    Ok, so although group policy editor only exists in Pro editions of Windows, it is just a front-end to the registry. So, to prevent the prolific driver from being updated in Windows 10/8/7 use the registry:

    REGEDIT4

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceInstall]

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceInstall\Restrictions]

    "DenyDeviceIDs"=dword:00000001

    "DenyDeviceIDsRetroactive"=dword:00000000

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceInstall\Restrictions\DenyDeviceIDs]

    "1"="USB\VID_067B&PID_2303"

    "2"="USB\VID_067B&PID_2303&REV_0300"

    "3"="USB\VID_067B&PID_2304"

    I am as still uncertain whether the restrictions apply to the current hardware ID(s) or restrict installation of a new one hardware ID or both. The 2304 one above is the newer one and the 2303 ones are the 3.3.2.102 ones as currently installed... either way, I figured this would prevent installation of the latest driver. So far so good on Windows 10 Home.

    Basically, you can do this via gpedit.msc if you have Windows Pro, if not, do it via a reg file and import into the registry. Then all other drivers can still be updated via the default web search. I would also recommend hiding the prolific driver update in Windows update. In Windows 10, you must use the windows update troubleshooter to hide it...

    I hope this helps others, Ted. My disclaimer is you are responsible for your own registry...

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2015-09-20T00:33:49+00:00

    Hi all,

    Yes, Prolific has chosen to screw their end users by forcing a driver that doesn't work even with their own older chips because of the Chinese "fake" chips. As if their end users know which cables have real versus fake chips !. I am sure the cable makers are getting pissed too when pissed users call them and switching over to the other chip manufacturer. No doubt, this in only hurting Prolific and their end users. There were intermediate driver versions that worked with older Prolific chips but not with the fake ones, but it appears they have now gone a step farther by creating new chips and that require new drivers. The driver 3.3.2.102 works in Windows 10 even, the trouble is the automatic web driver update almost immediately updates it to the latest one from the Microsoft repository. The trick is to get Windows 10 to update all other drivers but NOT the stupid Prolific one and then hide the Prolific driver update in Windows update as well. Microsoft, please remove the Prolific driver from your driver repository which no doubt you were lobbied to add there by a desperate company !!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2015-09-10T00:10:01+00:00

    This works for Windows 10. Thanks for the suggestion. Any computer the usb to serial adapter will connect to needs to be rolled to 3.3.2.102

    I suspect prolific were just trying to obsolete all the clones. I had no idea I was buying a clone, although I knew it was made in China.

    Thanks again!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments