Brian,
When you say remote works, is it in an endless reboot loop?

If so, there are 2 ways to go about this.

1 Use Hyperterminal (discussed in FAQ) which you likely do not have with Vista or any terminal program that has download capability using XModem.

2 Use Tonto ([Link: giantlaser.com]) and perform an "undead" on the remote.

A search for undead and Tonto will provide a bit more information.

If not in an endless reboot loop, it could be that you have a cold solder joint on the serial connector and you would need to get that repaired (T6 torx to crack open the case and fine-point tipped soldering iron to reheat the connections). I doubt this is the case as you can see the remote when you plug it in but I know Ernie has experienced this problem in the past.