CP210x Driver<>Windows Update

Comments

• GordonMcComb Posts: 3,366

  2018-05-13 - 17:25:34

  Is Win10 a fresh install or has the HD merely been wiped?
• erco Posts: 19,601

  2018-05-13 - 17:40:53 edited 2018-05-13 - 18:24:26

  I think they just wipe the HDD when these computers come in off lease. On first powerup, it went straight to the familiar Win10 desktop, user name "Admin", no setup required. So I did a full wipe to reset Win 10 Pro. Simple to do, but it took over a day to download and install every major update to get back to 1803. It would be a pain if I didn't like working on computers! But heck, you can't even buy Win10 pro for fifty bucks. 8GB RAM and a 500GB HDD will work just fine. Not sure if I need it, but the DVD drive is a writer/recorder type. I've been using this box for 4 days now. Left it on 24/7, no hiccups. 30-day warranty from refurber, local to me.
  
  Cheapskate erco-approved!
• GordonMcComb Posts: 3,366

  2018-05-13 - 20:29:40

  Well, it's $90 now...
• erco Posts: 19,601

  2018-05-13 - 20:42:59 edited 2018-05-13 - 20:44:54

  GordonMcComb wrote: »

  Well, it's $90 now...

  
  It was $90 OBO when I they accepted my lowball $50 offer! I offered to pick it up at that price, but they shipped it. Dunno how they do it. It came in a giant box that would cost me $50 to ship even locally.
  
  So make 'em an offer. Come on in, the AMD water is fine!
• erco Posts: 19,601

  2018-05-13 - 21:09:17 edited 2018-05-13 - 21:12:42

  Yeah, maybe I got the last one of those (until more come in). Here's a similar unit, SFF (small form factor, good) smaller RAM & HDD (bad). It's nearly identical to my main PC at home, which was also a refurb, that one from Frys, where I paid $129 last year. So if you get this one for $50 it's also a good deal IMO. Best thing about both these computers? They have a REAL serial port in back. I just got that USB-serial adapter working for sport.
  
  https://www.ebay.com/itm/282883306356
• erco Posts: 19,601

  2018-05-13 - 21:23:40

  Fry's still has good deals on refurbs, especially if you join their email club. Shot of today's flyer attached.
  
  

  

  

  frys.png

  1313 x 720 - 1M
• GordonMcComb Posts: 3,366

  2018-05-14 - 02:09:56 edited 2018-05-14 - 02:10:25

  Yeah, I kind of prefer the refurbs with a fresh OS. I skipped on this one because I don't want another full size tower. I get the Fry's sales flyers now once a week, instead of seventeen times a day, and keep my eyes on the used machines. Every once in a while they have one with decent RAM and HDD, but every time it's when I don't have the money! One day...
• erco Posts: 19,601

  2018-05-14 - 02:22:08

  With Windows 10, there's no disk or physical media. As long as the license was activated, you can reset to a fresh OS any time on any legit machine. That's as fresh as it gets. I didn't like (trust) that feature at first, being a hoarder and clinger-to of all the CDs & DVDs that ever came with my previous computers. But having reset several Win10 machines that way (including HDD replacement) without issues, I'm sold.
  
  In fact I thought about getting a brand new HDD to put in this machine just to avoid hard drive failure. If this was a corporate machine, it could have been on 24/7 for years. Fry's has a WD 1TB drive for $32! Seems like that might last a while. Of course that's only 800 movies...
  
  
• GordonMcComb Posts: 3,366

  2018-05-14 - 15:53:08

  I meant getting a refurb with a fresh OS already on it. I've worked on computers way too long to enjoy doing it. Of course it depends on how low they've priced the machine.
  
  I haven't gotten physical media with a machine since XP. I bought a Win 7 CD to have it for emergencies, but I don't have any Win10 machines here yet. My son's DIY box came with the OS on a cheap thumb drive, but I recall it was only partial. It needed to connect to the Internet to complete installation.
• erco Posts: 19,601

  2018-05-14 - 16:23:46

  I readily admit that I'm sick. I enjoy working on computers, soldering, and moonlight walks on the beach.
  
  Computer hardware & software changes so rapidly, it's hard to keep up. I'm afraid if I stopped working on them I would get left behind for good.
  
  
  
• erco Posts: 19,601

  2018-05-20 - 21:25:00

  I keep getting emails from this refurber. The BIN price for the small form factor (SFF) 6305 just dropped to $50 OBO, free ship (he might take $35 or 40). This one is 4GB RAM and 160GB HDD, so you might spend some money expanding, as I did: this is identical my main PC at home, which I got from Fry's last year. No complaints, I love & use that real serial port in back.
  
  https://www.ebay.com/i/282883306356
  
  
• erco Posts: 19,601

  2018-06-25 - 02:55:35

  Updates:
  
  Silab's updated CP210x driver works fine with Win10 v1803 now: https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/usb-to-uart-bridge-vcp-drivers
  
  And FrankiesFastShip has still plenty of solid HP desktop refurbs with Win10 and a real live serial port. I love my boat anchor. He'd probably take a $50 or 60 offer for this ONE (as in last one): https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Compaq-Pro-6200-MT-Intel-i3-4GB-RAM-250GB-HDD-Win-10-USB-VGA-B-Grade-Desktop-/282803582466
• jmg Posts: 14,240

  2018-06-25 - 03:40:49

  erco wrote: »

  Updates:
  
  Silab's updated CP210x driver works fine with Win10 v1803 now: https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/usb-to-uart-bridge-vcp-drivers

  
  I see the release notes below. The DTR change may have some effect ?
  

  ******************************************************************************
      RELEASE NOTES FOR 10.1.3 (2018-05-29)
  
  Changes for VCP Driver
  ==============================================================================
  MCUSW-326    | Clear DTR on CloseHandle().                                     
  
  
  
  ******************************************************************************
      RELEASE NOTES FOR 10.1.2 (2018-05-14)
  
  Changes for VCP Driver
  ==============================================================================
  MCUSW-134    | Fixed an issue with handling of IOCTL_SERIAL_SET_WAIT_MASK,     
               | IOCTL_SERIAL_WAIT_ON_MASK, with the SERIAL_EV_RXCHAR event and  
               | data arriving from the device into the driver. Previously, an   
               | indication of arriving data was made before making the data     
               | available, causing, in some conditions, subsequent requests for 
               | data after notification of data available to not deliver any    
               | data.                                                           
  MCUSW-211    | Windows 10 Universal driver release (I.e. no Windows 7, 8 or    
               | 8.1 support)                                                    
  MCUSW-288    | Fix IOCTL_SERIAL_GET_PROPERTIES.                                
  MCUSW-291    | Fix IOCTL_SERIAL_GET_PROPERTIES/SERIAL_COMMPROP for CP210x-like 
               | "Voice MB v2.0" device.                                         
  MCUSW-315    | Certified for RS4/1803.                  
  

  
  
  
• erco Posts: 19,601

  2018-06-26 - 03:30:32

  Oops, I forgot to mention that when I had the successful installation last week, Windows self-installed it automatically. I didn't have to download the driver manually. So the improvement I noticed was more likely due to the latest Windows 10 update, not the SiLabs update. But according to Silabs, their update works with the original version of 1803.
• erco Posts: 19,601

  2018-08-23 - 02:35:19 edited 2018-08-23 - 02:40:38

  Another 6305 just like the one I mentioned in my original post at https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Compaq-Pro-6305-MT-AMD-A10-5800B-3-8-GHz-8-GB-RAM-500-GB-HDD-Windows-10-Pro/282951085982 for $60 OBO, free ship. Bet they'd take $50, same as I paid. It's huge but it's pretty fast and still going strong. Has a real serial port and 8+ USB ports! Heck, you can't even buy Win10 pro for $60. You couldn't SHIP this monster for $60.
  
  Trying to talk my office partner into grabbing it, so somebody I know gives it a good home!