Who the hell still needs FTDI?
They are a shitty company, with zero respect for the end-users (who may or most likely may not [which was my case] be aware that their chip is fake).
It's not like we don't have alternatives and we really need them. There are plenty of options out there, from complete software solutions (like
V-USB) to other dedicated alternatives, like the CH340G chip, and other solutions from Prolific, Texas, Cypress, Silicon Labs, Microchip, and a few others.
The sooner people stop caring about FTDI and stop using their products, the sooner we'll be rid of the problem.
Regarding the driver, I
NEVER let Windows Update automatically update my drivers, since I've had bad experience with that in a distant past. Most of my drivers are probably out-of-date, but they've been working, so I just let them be. Don't fix it unless it's broken. Neverthless, I was a victim of FTDI with my very first Arduino Nano 3.0, because I didn't know any better, and it was a fresh install.
On a side note, some PL-2303HX drivers will simply not work with fake PL2303 chips, but it won't even touch the chip in any way. Prolific even has a utility to detect fake chips.