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FT232R USB UART - install the FTDI driver properly

FT232R is a USB-to-serial chip by FTDI, found on Arduino-style boards, programming cables and industrial adapters. Windows usually installs its driver automatically - but when it does not, the device sits in Device Manager as "FT232R USB UART" with no COM port. Here is the clean way to fix it.

Fix it automatically

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Quick answer

Download the VCP driver (Virtual COM Port) for Windows from the chip maker's site ftdichip.com, run the setup executable, replug the adapter - a USB Serial Port (COMx) entry appears under Ports in Device Manager. Windows Update installs the same driver in most cases: plug the device in and check for updates first.

Symptoms - how this problem looks

Device Manager shows "FT232R USB UART" under Other devices
No "USB Serial Port (COMx)" entry appears
The programming software cannot find any serial port
Code 28 (no driver) or Code 10 on the device
The adapter worked before and stopped after reinstalling Windows
Data transfers fail although the port is visible

Why it happens

Driver not installed yet

On a clean system the FTDI driver arrives through Windows Update - if the PC is offline or updates are blocked, the chip stays unknown.

Counterfeit FT232R chips

Some cheap adapters carry cloned FTDI chips. Current official drivers refuse to talk to some clones - the device shows a port that transfers nothing, or stops working after a driver update.

Two drivers - D2XX vs VCP

FTDI ships a direct-access driver (D2XX) and a virtual COM port driver (VCP). Software that expects a COM port needs VCP - with only D2XX installed, no port appears.

A stale driver from years ago

Old FTDI installations can linger after Windows upgrades and conflict with the current package.

The fixes, in order

1. Windows Update - the zero-effort route

  1. Plug the adapter in and connect the PC to the internet.
  2. Open Settings, then Windows Update, select Check for updates, and also look under Advanced options, then Optional updates.
  3. Replug the adapter and check Device Manager for USB Serial Port (COMx).

2. Install the official FTDI VCP driver

  1. On ftdichip.com open Drivers, then VCP Drivers, and download the Windows setup executable.
  2. Run it as administrator and follow the wizard.
  3. Replug the adapter: "USB Serial Converter" appears under Universal Serial Bus controllers and "USB Serial Port (COMx)" under Ports.

If the port appears but no data flows, open the USB Serial Converter properties and confirm "Load VCP" is ticked on the Advanced tab.

3. Fix a wrong or conflicting installation

  1. Unplug the adapter and uninstall both FTDI entries in Device Manager (tick "Attempt to remove the driver").
  2. Restart Windows, then install the VCP driver from method 2 and replug.
  3. Check the COM number in Device Manager and select the same port in your software.

4. If the adapter may be a clone

  1. Symptom pattern: the port appears, but transfers fail or the device dies after a driver update - while it still works on an older PC.
  2. Try the adapter on another computer to confirm the pattern.
  3. The dependable fix is a known-genuine adapter from a reputable vendor - working around clone detection with patched drivers is unreliable and risky.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need the D2XX driver or the VCP driver?

For almost everything - Arduino IDEs, terminal programs, flashing tools - you need VCP, which creates the COM port. D2XX is only for software written specifically against FTDI's direct API. The Windows setup executable installs both and enables VCP by default.

Which COM number will my adapter get?

Windows assigns the next free number and keeps it per USB port. You can change it in Device Manager: USB Serial Port properties, Port Settings, Advanced, COM Port Number - useful for old software that only accepts COM1-COM4.

FT232R and CH340 - is the driver the same?

No - they are different chips from different makers. FT232R uses the FTDI driver from ftdichip.com; the CH340 uses the WCH driver - see our CH340 driver guide.