http://www.techrepublic.com/article/ftdi-uses-windows-update-to-disable-devi...
So you buy a USB-to-Serial device at the local big box, or your favorite mail-order firm, get it running some essential device, and a Windows Update zaps the device to uselessness. How would you feel about the vendor? How do you feel about the vendor that (perhaps inadvertently) used a counterfeit chip in their device? How about the OS vendor who shipped a "driver update" that broke the device?
I'll tell you how I feel about it: NEVER NEVER NEVER get a driver update from MS. Get it from the company that made the device.
And don't "update" drivers that are working. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
And, finally:
Windows Automatic Updates: Just Say No. (tm) (Even if you have to hack the registry, or unplug the damn network cable before you boot up.)
Ken Dibble www.stic-cil.org