ch340 arduinos not loading - SOLVED

I am running Windows 7. I used to be able to use boards with these serial converter chips. Something is wrong and I can't get them to work again. I had downloaded a more current installer from the company web sit. The installer program says it installed correctly.

Windows says there is no problem. When I try to do an upload I get the following error in the Arduino status window.

Programmer Type : Arduino
Description : Arduino
Hardware Version: 2
Firmware Version: 1.16
Vtarget : 0.0 V
Varef : 0.0 V
Oscillator : Off
SCK period : 0.1 us
avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.00s
avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e950f
avrdude: reading input file "C:\Users\Rudy\AppData\Local\Temp\build5855172871251601378.tmp/Blink.cpp.hex"
avrdude: writing flash (1030 bytes):
Writing | avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding Problem uploading to board.
See http://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/Troubleshooting#upload for suggestions.

http://www.mts.net/~wrpa/Arduino-programming-fail.html

I'm stuck. I need to get this working. If anyone can help I would really appreciate it.

Problem solved.

I don't know how but the two boards that failed on me had bootloaders that no longer worked. Or maybe the fuses modified. That's more likely. I had been reading them with AVRDUDESS.

That is pretty odd the bootloader allowed a read and got the device signature, but just would not write...