The Prolific PL2303 cable connects serial devices to the USB ports on your computer. However, several users have reported issues with Windows 11 without the PL2303 driver.
So, what is the PL2303 USB to Serial driver all about? Like any other driver, its function is to connect the Operating System to the device, in this case, the PL2303 adapter. The device will be inoperable if the driver does not recognize it.
In most cases, Windows 11 will automatically install the cable’s driver, but you may need to download the PL2303 driver Windows 11 64-bit manually.
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What is the purpose of the PL2303 USB to Serial driver?
The PL-2303 USB to Serial converter simplifies the connection of RS-232 serial devices to a Windows host computer through USB.
To provide a bridge connection, it contains a standard DB 9-pin male serial port connector on one end and a standard Type-A USB plug connector on the other end of the cable.
Some of the most common problems with the Prolific PL2303 USB to serial converter are as follows:
- PL2303 is a very productive PL. This device will not turn on. (Code 10)
- The Prolific PL2303 device does not have a driver.
- The driver for the Prolific PL2303 Device could not be installed.
- Please contact your provider if the PL2303TA does not support Windows 11 or later.
- Please install the appropriate PL2303 driver to support Windows 11.
- This is not true. Prolific PC2303 error (Windows 11)
- The PL2303 driver is no longer supported (Windows 11).
- The PL2303 is being phased out.
When the driver is corrupted or out of date, this occurs. In this case, you must check the device manager to load the appropriate drivers.
Now that you know how Windows discovers and installs the correct driver, let us walk you through the steps to install the PL2303 driver in Windows 11.
Is Windows 11 compatible with RS232?
Windows 11 does, in fact, support and advocate RS232.
Solution 1: Install the latest version of Windows
- Step 1: Press Windows + I to open Settings, then navigate to Windows Update in the navigation bar and select Advanced settings.
- Step 2: Select the optional updates.
- Step 3: Select the Prolific PL2303 driver and click Download & Install at the bottom.
- Step 4: Allow the process to complete before restarting the computer to effect the changes.
Windows detects connected devices and, in most situations, automatically downloads the relevant driver. If this does not happen, you should be able to find and download the USB to serial driver for Windows 11 in the optional updates section.
This solution may be handy if you are looking for a PL2303TA driver for Windows 11. Before proceeding, connect the Prolific PL2303 adapter to the PC.
Solution 2: Manually use the website
- Step 1: Launch any web browser, visit the official Prolific website, and click the PL23XX Prolific DriverInstaller v408.zip Download link.
- Step 2: Right-click on the file and select Extract All from the context menu once the download is complete. This is because the downloaded file is in ZIP format.
- Step 3: Click Browse, scroll to the extracted files’ location, and click Extract at the bottom.
- Step 4: Double-click the setup file once the extraction process is complete.
- Step 5: Confirm the UAC (User Account Control) popup.
- Step 6: Next, in the installer box.
- Step 7: When the installation is complete, click Finish to close the installer.
After installing the Prolific PL2303 driver on Windows 11, restart the computer to have the modifications take effect. Connect the PL2303 USB to the serial cable after that.
Solution 3: Employ a specialized instrument
If the manual procedure is too challenging, you can rely on a reliable third-party program. We recommend using DriverFix, a dedicated program that scans for and updates drivers for all connected devices automatically.
Here is how to get things done quickly:
- Step 1: Download and install the DriverFix program.
- Step 2: Launch the software.
- Step 3: Allow DriverFix to discover any outdated or faulty drivers.
- Step 4: The application will then provide a list of the impacted drivers, from which you can choose which ones to repair or update.
- Step 5: Allow DriverFix to search for the latest recent updates.
- Step 6: Reboot your device to have the changes take effect.
- Step 7: Your drivers should now be up to date, and you should notice enhanced device performance with no driver-related issues.
How Do You Troubleshoot Prolific PL2303 Driver Issues?
Driver problems usually develop for one of three reasons: the driver is out of date, corrupt, or a defect in the current version. Other possibilities could exist, but they are unrelated to the driver.
You can manually update the driver, one of the three issues listed previously, by following the methods provided in the preceding section. The approaches described below should work for the other two: a corrupt driver and a fault in the current version.
Solution 1: Reinstall the driver
- Step 1: Press Windows + S to access the Search menu, put Device Manager into the text field at the top, and then click on the relevant search result that appears.
- Step 2: Locate the Ports entry and double-click it to expand and investigate the devices listed beneath it.
- Step 3: Right-click the Prolific USB-to-Serial option in the context menu and select Remove device.
- Step 4: In the dialogue box that appears, click Uninstall.
The machine will then restart, and Windows will install a new driver for the device. If it does not work, you already know how to install the Prolific PL2303 driver for Windows 11 manually.
When a driver is corrupted, reinstalling it is a simple solution. However, the emphasis here is on locating the corrupt driver, which is similarly straightforward. Look for the motorist whose icon has a caution mark in the lower-left corner.
Solution 2: Roll back the driver upgrade
Step 1: To get the Quick Get menu, press Windows + X or right-click on the Start icon, then choose Device Manager from the list of options.
- Step 2: Double-click the Ports entry.
- Step 3: From the context menu, right-click on Prolific USB-to-Serial and select Properties.
- Step 4: Navigate to the Drivers tab.
- Step 5: Select the Roll Back Driver mode.
- Step 6: Select a reason for rolling back the update, then click the Yes button at the bottom to start the process.
When you update a driver, Windows stores the previous version’s files in case something goes wrong, and you must revert to a previous version.
Furthermore, this is what we mean when we talk about returning to a previous driver version or rolling back a driver update.
However, if the Roll Back Driver option is greyed out, it means either the driver has not been updated, or Windows did not store the required data.
Why doesn’t Windows install the drivers for me?
When you connect a new device or peripheral to your computer, Windows should recognize it and automatically download the required driver. However, this is only true for some hardware.
It will be deployed only if the driver has been submitted to and approved by Microsoft. Device manufacturers must submit their drivers to Microsoft for approval before they may be released alongside other Windows updates.
Several of them, however, do not. Some need more resources, but others may find it more convenient to offer these drivers on their websites. On the other hand, some manufacturers get the driver certified by Microsoft but then post future upgrades to their websites.
Aside from that, many customers inadvertently configure Windows, so it does not check for updates automatically. Additionally, even if the driver is already installed on the computer, you may be unable to access or use the required device.
What if the Prolific PL2303 USB-to-Serial driver does not work correctly on Windows 11?
According to many readers, the Prolific PL2303 USB-to-Serial driver does not work with Windows 11.
If this applies to you, try the following solution:
- Step 1: Download and install the Prolific driver, as mentioned in the first solution in this guide.
- Step 2: Click the Search button in the taskbar, type device management, and then open the app from the results.
- Step 3: Click to expand the Ports (COM & LPT) section.
- Step 4: Select Update driver from the context menu when right-clicking on the Prolific driver.
- Step 5: Select the Search my computer for drivers option.
- Step 6: Finally, select Let me choose from the available drivers.
- Step 7: Select the most recent version and click Next. If that does not work, you can try again with a different option.
- Step 8: Complete the installation and reboot your computer.
Conclusion
As a result, if you are wondering why Windows 11 does not recognize my USB device, the required driver is likely missing, and the System cannot identify or connect to the device.
That is everything for installing the Prolific PL2303 driver in Windows 11 and the two most effective troubleshooting approaches. On Windows 10, you may also download the Prolific USB to the serial driver.
