Fixed: Prolific USB to Serial Driver not Working on Windows 11/10

Wondershare Recoverit Authors

Jan 15, 2024 • Filed to: USB Recovery • Proven solutions

Have you ever had difficulty connecting your devices to your computer using a Prolific USB to Serial adapter? If yes you are lucky to find this page, it will give you all the information need to fix an unresponsive Serial driver adapter. You may have noticed a yellow exclamation mark hovering over or beside the USB to Serial Driver when searching your Device Manager and if you have we can all agree that it signifies a prevailing problem.

Part 1: Overview of the Error

If you are not able to connect your device to your PC using a USB to Serial adapter it may be that:

While you can't be so sure what the exact problem is there are solutions you can adopt to fix the issue once and for all. Read on to find quick fixes to resolve the problem.


Part 2: Why is my Prolific USB Not Working?

There could be several reasons why your prolific USB device is not working, such as:


Part 3: Solutions to Fix Prolific USB to Serial Driver Not Working

Video tutorial: How to Fix Prolific USB to Serial Driver not Working?

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Solution 1: Roll Prolific USB to Serial Driver Back to An Older Version

Updating your drivers often work wonders for your system because it makes sure that it runs on the latest features that guarantee maximum functionality. Unfortunately updating your drivers can cause this kind of error especially if your latest update does not work too well with your hardware. Once you upgrade your PC to the latest Windows version your Prolific USB to Serial Driver also updates to the latest driver software and if the driver is not compatible with your Hardware issues may arise. To correct the error, you will have to download the driver again by following these steps.

click my computer for driver software

select the right command

choose an older version from the list then click next

Solution 2: Fix Prolific USB to Serial Driver "Coder 10"

Driver issues reveal themselves in so many ways or through messages such as

prolific usb to serialcomm port

A code 10 error may arise because the chip you are using is not an original one. If you are using a fake, the manufacturer has a way of disabling it due to copy write infringement and the copy write takes effect once you download a recent update. To protect your PC from getting this code, you will have to make sure that your Windows 11/10 never updates a driver without approval. Updates come in the form of 64 bit and 32-bit drivers. Below we will show you how to work your way around the problem.

Window 64 bit Fix

To fix Windows 64 bit OS including Prolific USB to Serial Adapter, follow through these steps.

  • Download "PL2303_64bit_Installer.exe and Save
  • Remove every USB to Serial adapter from your PC and double click the "PL2303_64bit_installer.exe
  • Follow the prompt by plugging in one USB to Serial adapter the click on Continue
  • Reboot your PC to get Windows up and running

If you have followed these process through and you still see the same error go to your device manager

  • Open the control panel and navigate to Device Manager
  • From your control panel navigate to the System category and click the Hardware tab
  • Scroll to the LPT/COM port and double click Prolific USB to Serial Comm Port
  • Click Drivers in the Properties section
  • The Driver you choose should read "3.3.2.102 with an appropriate date attached
  • If the date is wrong then it means the wrong driver was installed
  • Unplug the Serial adapter and run the steps again to install the correct driver

Window 32-bit

For Windows 32-bit OS systems follow these steps

  • You will have to download the "PL-2303_Driver_Installer.exe and save from Microsoft download link
  • Run the program and eradicate the driver if you can
  • Run the installer once more to install a correct driver

To Troubleshoot for error if your device still does not work

  • Go to Control panel, enter System to access your Device Manager
  • Scroll down to the LPT/ COM port then double click Prolific USB to Serial Comm Port
  • Click Driver in the Windows Properties section
  • The driver must be numbered as "2.0.2.8" and dates accordingly 

If the driver was not installed, remove the Serial adapter then run "PL2303_Driver_Installer.exe" again. Follow directions in Device Manager to download the correct driver

The three solutions listed in this article have proven to be quite helpful in fixing a Prolific USB to Serial driver not working on Windows 11/10. They may appear confusing at first but if you follow each step in detail you can resolve the issue.

Watching the following tutorial video and this maybe helpful for you to solve the problem.

Recoverit author

Sue Wayne

staff Editor

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