Programmer not responding when uploading to arduino nano

Using Arduino Avrdude, stk500, Bootloader issues
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I've run through some basic troubleshooting with no results. I have some questions that may answer the cause detailed below:

I identified it as an Arduino Nano from google images however there were some small differences between some images. I read somewhere theres different versions; is that relevant? Can 'Arduino Nano' still be selected as the board for all versions? (Not talking about the other quite physically different Arduino Nano XXXX boards in the list).

Arduino-Nano-Board-Layout
Arduino-Nano-Board-Layout750×421 112 KB

I've installed the Arduino IDE and Create, which also downloaded the relevant drivers for me I believe. It's not clear on any tutorial if anything else needs to be downloaded. However for my particular error it seems like drivers may be missing. I've looked in my device manager and don't see anything Arduino related. What should I be looking for?

When the USB is plugged in, the L led on the board blinks red and the PWR led is a constant green. What does this mean? Is it the default? Couldn't find a definitive answer anywhere specifically for this board.

When selecting the port it reads as COM4 Serial Port (USB), however I thought it should say COM4 (Arduino Nano). Does this mean its not properly connected via USB cable? I bought the cable off amazon. I read afterwards that it has to be a data cable and not a charger cable. The amazon listing title reads as a charger cable, however the description says its suitable for data transfer and one review says it worked for their Arduino. (Amazon is notorious for inconsistent products though. I know I should try another cable but this one already cost $10 and I can't really afford to buy another if not necessary. I will if the other problems dont solve the upload error).

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Have you tried "nano (old bootloader)" in the boards menu? That's the most common reason for not being able to upload to a Nano.

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It will not indicate that it's a Nano. A Nano uses a generic TTL-to-USB converter (which is located at the bottom of the board) and hence you get the "Serial Port (USB).

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Good idea! I'm thinking it must be an old version board (V2) since I found a pic of something called V3 that had some differences.

There wasn't that option in the boards menu, but I tried ATP328P (Old Bootloader) for the processor and that worked. I meant to try that earlier and forgot but a pretty simple solution luckily. Thanks!

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Ok thanks for clarifying! I had just read on an Arduino FAQ page that mentioned it should read as COM4 (Arduino Uno) I think and thought it would be the same for a nano maybe. It was also while reading that it should use a data and not a charger cable, so I got worried it was indicative of the cable not working.

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Personally I haven't seen a miniUSB charge-only cable; not saying that they don't exist. But it's a common problem with microUSB cables. It's cables that come with power banks.

You can mark your topic as solved by clicking the "solution" button under the most useful post (post #2 by @PaulRB) so others that have the same problem know that there is a solution provided.

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