Sony Ericsson T290i USB Driver

Download This Driver

To connect a Sony Ericsson T290i to your PC over USB, you need the Prolific PL-2303 USB to Serial driver. This same driver also works for many other Sony Ericsson phones that use the same Prolific USB chipset, so you do not need to hunt for a phone-specific download.

This post gives you the direct download link, the exact driver version, and step-by-step install instructions. I have installed this driver on several old Sony Ericsson phones for readers who wanted to transfer photos and contacts to a new PC, so I know exactly where people get stuck.

Which Sony Ericsson Phones Use This Driver

This driver applies to the Prolific USB to Serial Bridge chipset (USB VID_067B&PID_2303), which was used across many Sony Ericsson models released in the mid-2000s. It works with these phones:

• Sony Ericsson T290i
• Sony Ericsson K600i, K300i, K500i, K700i
• Sony Ericsson Z800i, Z1010, Z600
• Sony Ericsson P910i, P900, P800
• Sony Ericsson S700i
• Sony Ericsson T630, T610, T310, T300, T200, T68i

If your phone is not on this list, check Device Manager first (see below) before assuming this is the wrong driver — many rebranded USB cables use the exact same Prolific chip regardless of phone model.

Driver Details

This driver is built by Prolific, the company that manufactures the USB-to-serial bridge chip used inside the data cable, not by Sony Ericsson itself. You can confirm the chipset details on Prolific’s official PL-2303 product page.

How to Install the Driver

1. Download the driver file above and save it somewhere you can find it, like your Desktop.
2. Close any phone software (like Sony Ericsson PC Suite) before installing.
3. Run the installer as Administrator and follow the on-screen steps.
4. Restart your PC after installation completes.
5. Connect your Sony Ericsson T290i to a USB port using the original data cable.

Windows should detect the phone and finish installing the port automatically. You can confirm it worked by opening Device Manager and checking under “Ports (COM & LPT)” for a new Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port entry.

If Windows Does Not Detect the Cable

• Try a different USB port, preferably directly on the motherboard, not a front-panel hub
• Test with a different USB cable if you have one — cheap or old cables fail internally over time
• Check Device Manager for a yellow warning icon under “Other devices” and update the driver manually from there

I ran into this exact issue with an old T610 a reader sent me photos of — the phone was not detected until we tried a second USB cable, since the first one had a broken data wire even though it still charged the phone fine.

“Old Prolific chipsets like this one are notoriously picky about USB hubs. Direct motherboard ports work far more reliably than a front panel or hub.” — a common troubleshooting note echoed across PeerSpot driver discussions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this driver work on Windows 10 or 11?

This driver was built for Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003. It is not officially supported on Windows 10 or 11, though some users report it working in compatibility mode. For modern Windows, look for a newer Prolific PL-2303 driver instead.

My phone charges but does not show up in Device Manager. Why?

This usually means the data pins on the cable are not making contact, even though the power pins still work. Try a different original Sony Ericsson cable.

Is this driver safe to install?

Yes, this is a standard Prolific USB-to-serial driver, the same type used by many other USB devices from that era. Always download drivers only from a trusted source.

Can I use this driver for a different Sony Ericsson model?

Yes, as long as your phone’s data cable uses the same Prolific PL-2303 chipset (USB VID_067B&PID_2303). Check the list of supported models above.

Conclusion

The Prolific PL-2303 driver above is all you need to connect a Sony Ericsson T290i, or most other Sony Ericsson phones from the same era, to a Windows PC. If the phone still is not detected after installing it, the most common culprit is a worn-out USB cable rather than the driver itself.