Serial Port Driver - Windows Vista Service
Serial Device Driver by Microsoft Corporation.
This service also exists in Windows 10, 11, 7, 8 and XP.
Startup Type
Since Serial Port Driver is a kernel mode driver, its startup might be configured depending on installed hardware. Changing its startup configuration might cause hardware issues. In the table below you can see how it is configured on my system, but your default settings might differ from mine.
| Windows Vista edition | without SP | SP1 | SP2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Disabled | Disabled | Disabled |
| Home Basic | Disabled | Disabled | Disabled |
| Home Premium | Disabled | Disabled | Disabled |
| Business | Disabled | Disabled | Disabled |
| Ultimate | Disabled | Disabled | Disabled |
Default Properties
| Display name: | Serial Port Driver |
| Service name: | Serial |
| Type: | kernel |
| Path: | %WinDir%\system32\drivers\serial.sys |
| Error control: | ignore |
| Group: | Extended base |
Default Behavior
The Serial Port Driver service is a kernel mode driver. If Serial Port Driver fails to load or initialize, Windows Vista startup proceeds. No warning is displayed, but the error is recorded into the Event Log.
Restore Default Startup Type of Serial Port Driver
Automated Restore
1. Select your Windows Vista edition and Service Pack, and then click on the Download button below.
2. Save the RestoreSerialPortDriverWindowsVista.bat file to any folder on your hard drive.
3. Right-click the downloaded batch file and select Run as administrator.
4. Restart the computer to save changes.
Note. Make sure that the serial.sys file exists in the %WinDir%\system32\drivers folder. If this file is missing you can try to restore it from your Windows Vista installation media.