Don't go cheap on the cable and get one with the real chipset in it, like the one here. The Baofeng-branded ones sometimes have driver issues supposedly due to the fact that they use counterfeit chipsets. I've personally had hit-or-miss experiences with the OEM cables. Some work, some work for a while and some don't work at all.

I know it's almost as much as the radio but it will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.

Yea the problem is probably your cable; it was sold by Tenway, not by Baofeng. This is what you should get.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HUB0ONK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's possible to program without the cable but there's the link to the one I use for my radios.