[WT-support] Caution: latest Windows Update breaks fake "FTDI" USB-to-Serial adapters

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

 > Which confirms the same thing at the bottom:  "current update of FTDI
 > drivers in windows made things much worse: software-compatible chips
 > abusing "FTDI" marking are now silently bricked by FTDI drivers by
 > resetting their PID."

Follow all of the links more carefully.  1) FTDI is only resetting the
chip to remove the counterfeit FTDI PID and reset it to 0000.  The chip
is not "bricked" - it will still work with the proper drivers using PID
0000.  2) there are already PID 0000 drivers floating around that will
make those chips work.

The responsible parties are those chip fabricators (mostly in China)
who are making and selling counterfeit FTDI chips and the shady vendors
who pass those counterfeits as the real thing.

73,

    ... Joe, W4TV


On 2014-10-23 2:16 PM, Bob Wilson, N6TV wrote:
> On Thu, Oct 23, 2014 at 10:46 AM, Lup S. DJ7SW <dj7sw at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> On the prolific site they offer a test program to check, if you use an
>> original prolific chip. The same is offered on the ftdi site.
>>
>
> I couldn't find any utility on the FTDI site that will safely indicate if
> you have a fake FTDI device.
>
>
>> The newer drivers can no longer used together with chinese clone chips.
>> The cables/chips are not killed, only the driver is killed by Microsofts
>> Update.
>>
>
> That may be true of Prolific chips.  But FTDI chips are actually killed and
> rendered useless according to multiple sources.
>
>
>> More information gives you this blog:
>> http://zeptobars.ru/en/read/FTDI-FT232RL-real-vs-fake-supereal
>>
>
> Which confirms the same thing at the bottom:  "current update of FTDI
> drivers in windows made things much worse: software-compatible chips
> abusing "FTDI" marking are now silently bricked by FTDI drivers by
> resetting their PID."
>
> "Bricked" or "to brick" is jargon/slang for "cause (a smartphone or other
> electronic device) to become completely unable to function, typically on a
> permanent basis," as useful as a brick of clay.
>
> 73,
> Bob, N6TV
>
>
>
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