The problem? Prolific, in an effort to combat counterfeit chips, released Windows drivers after 2012 that deliberately refuse to work with older or fake PL2303 chips. If your cable says “AWM 20251” and was made in the last 10-15 years, you are almost certainly dealing with an —not a broken cable.
(Windows 10/11 only for older Prolific drivers): awm 20251 console cable driver download fix