DCS Loader Error

You failed to mention what serial port adapter you have.  I'm guessing you have a USB<->Serial adapter, maybe you need to start there.  In Device Manager, do you see any COM ports?  Here's what I see, and COM7 is what I'd use for the task, it's my USB<->Serial adapter.

I don't know exactly what brand it is or anything but it's a 9pin serial port to USB adapter cable with the 9 pin end plugged into the TIU and the USB end plugged into my PC. In the device manager menu I see the exact same thing that is in your picture but instead of COM7 it's COM3. I tried changing it to COM7 but that didn't do anything.

COM3 is fine, now go into the loader and under Options, select the COM port manually with the same number as is in Device Manager.  Also, make sure you have a good 1:1 serial cable between the USB adapter and the TIU.

Under options I can only select "auto search for TIU". There isn't any option to manually put in the port number.

That's probably why it doesn't work.  Have you tried downloading Loader 2.3 to see if that finds the COM port?

Yes I tried that but It didn't find it.

For some reason, the Loader doesn't recognize your serial port converter.  I suggest you try on a computer without Windows 8 if that's possible, that may be part of the issue.

Sorry I didn't answer sooner. I was out for the weekend. Anyways, I tried finding the TIU on a Windows 7 computer and it still didn't find it.

Top suspect would be the cable, then the USB<->Serial cable.  Have you tried a different cable and adapter?

I only have the one adapter cable. I may have to buy a new one....

I'd buy a different model.

I just loaded new firmware on a TIU using the Vantec CB-USB20SR running Windows 7, so I know that works.

I will look into that. Thank you so much for all of your help so far!

Well I decided to look in my TIU today and it turns out that there is a broken resistor inside the TIU. I'm guessing that the loose resistor is what was causing all of the trouble I've been having with my layout lately.

That is not a good sign.