Warning: Don't Upgrade your FTDI drivers

[barneyg]

If you use FTDI drivers in modern Window systems it would appear Windows update is installing new drivers that will (soft) brick fake FTDI FT232chips.

http://hackaday.com/2014/10/22/watch-that-windows-update-ftdi-drivers-are-killing-fake-chips/

It does appear that it can be unbricked by using a Linux or Windows XP box and FT_Prog to change the device PID back to something the driver will recognise -  0x6001.

[Vyizis]

Ftdi/Microsoft have now pulled this so no need to worry!

[barneyg]

unless you';ve already borked your stuff and are wondering why or if you';ve updated the drivers already but since FTDI haven';t issued new ones only pulled the funky ones you will end up with a dead ftdi chip if you plug it in before they issue fixed drivers. 

a "fix" is outlined here : http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?PHPSESSID=heg4v4pqlhnjftnpvaektfgs91&topic=270175.msg1922910#msg1922910

One must assume you can also uninstall the new version of the driver and reinstall the old version that is listed on the website.

[nbpicklesno2]

Or you could just not use Microsoft products at all and move to open source, ie Linux.

It';s all about control. Just like your FC really

[Hands0n]

A couple of quick links to useful videos for those afflicted. Might be useful.

1) How to un-brick your FTDI device
http://youtu.be/RZH_qGautqM

2) Unbricking using Windows
http://youtu.be/SPdSKT6KdF8