ESP32 camera unable to upload code
ESP32-cam SOLVED communication
Ok was a pretty troubling problem, the ESP32 cam wouldn't connect at all to the Arduino IDE.  I didn't think the FTDI card required a driver, (as com protocol is already known to windows I just thought it serialized a data stream using the chip)...
Some more info to resolve it:

Well the ft232rl USB board the one you see in my question... does require a driver.

You can download the driver from here: https://ftdichip.com/drivers/vcp-drivers/

Next, I had to use the 5v scheme, so that's not the scheme shown in my question.
Instead in above scheme use the topleft pin for 5v input.
And set the jumpers on the ft232rl board to 5v as well.

I assume you allready had the board installed in the IDE,  if not just follow https://randomnerdtutorials.com/installing-the-esp32-board-in-arduino-ide-windows-instructions/ and then you tried to upload the ip web code https://randomnerdtutorials.com/program-upload-code-esp32-cam/

At some point in that article you will need to upload your code.
In Arduino IDE select your board, (use some sample code), and use upload.
In the arduino IDE, DO NOT USE : &quot;use programmer&quot;.
Although you buy an FTDI programmer apparently it means something else in Arduino universe.


A kind of misleading here is that without the driver, it is already seen as a com port.
So the Arduino IDE uses it as a comport, and it just fails proper communication.
PS I won't rule out that on some PC's those devices work straight out of the box.
Because the hardware/software implementations of a COM port in a pc with windows is a little complex. Realtime ports, vs event-based operating system code vs various pc/laptop chipsets.
But if you get &quot;Failed to connect to ESP32&quot;, then i hope my answer helped you.