Don't give up. The driver issue can be a mess. What operating system are you using? Windows 8 is a genuine pain in the butt. When you install the driver, you must be disconnected from the internet. You must plug the cable in and uninstall whatever default driver is associated with that cable. Also you need to install the driver manually in device manager. You need to install it twice, once for the usb emulator and once for the serial connection. If you're not doing all of this, it's not surprising that the cable doesn't work. It's also possible that the cable actually doesn't work. Try getting another one for $20. Then follow the instruction guide on the TuneEcu site.