have been programming with the programming port. using a cheapie cable that came with a phone. maybe i should get a short one of better quality. the only good ones i have are mini, not micro. all the USB ports on the computer work well with everything else including external hard drives from which i have copied many TB. hard to imagine that something as simple as a 9600 baud serial connection would pose a greater problem. will try a different cable tonight and also try a different USB port. who knows?