Canon digital camera / Computer problem :(

[kinkladze]

My in laws have the Canon EOS 400D and the Canon Ixus 800 IS.

When they plug either camera via usb into their computer the pc recognises the camera as being there (shows up in my computer) but when they try and import photos onto the computer the pc is unable to access the camera / card.

When you 'right click' the camera icon in "My Computer" and try to look at the 'properties of the camera, it gives out a message along the lines of ;

"Cannot access camera - make sure it is connected properly"

I know the cards are working as i have imported the photos onto my computer for them through my card reader on my printer. When i tried to this on their printer card reader, the reader recognised the photos but the pc wouldn't.

From this i figure there must be something wrong with the computer settings as this is the case with both cards and both cameras.

Does anyone have any ideas as to why this has happened or more importantly how to rectify the problem.

Windows Service Pack 3 has just recently been installed - could this cause a problem??

Thanks in advance for your help!!!!!

K.

If anyone needs any more info just ask!!

[py6km]

I don't think it's possible to 'mount' Canon cameras/cards in Canon cameras, you have to use the supplied software to import images. That's certainly the case with Mac anyway, so I presume the same with Windows.

The other alternative is to use a card reader, which you could mount without problems.

[Gingerbillc]

If you can import from cards then why bother, if it aint broke, don't fix it. I'd never attch my camera to my pc unless my life depended on it, even then...

had that many problems with importing pictures direct before, that I haven't even bothered. Windows fubars everything.

[kinkladze]

Sorry - i'm not sure if i've made myself clear about this problem.

My in laws live 60 odd miles away so i cant do it for them all the time and the cards from their camera cannot be read by their card reader or their camera software when plugged in by usb. Therefore they have no way of getting their photos off their camera until the problem is sorted.

Therefore I assume there is a problem with windows / their pc which is causing this.

[JohnG]

Have they tried it with a standalone usb card reader plugged into a USB port ? When you say the photos can't be read by the card reader, do you mean the card shows up in My Computer but no files show up there ?
I just use a cheapo USB card reader to import all my photos.

[kinkladze]

when the card is plugged into the card reader of the all in one hp printer, the printer reads the images no problem but it cannot import them into the pc for some reason. Same goes for the camera when plugged in. The camera 'sees' the photos on the card but the pc wont / cant access the card / camera to allow an import.

It used to work fine but now not - cant understand why!!!!

[JohnG]

Can you see the card reader in the printer from Windows My Computer ? If so will it just let you copy and paste them instead of running a wizard type program to import ?

[Crocodile]

Have they installed the EOS Utility from the CD & updated?

http://software.canon-europe.com/products/0010371.asp

[senu]

They may also need to change the communication type on the cameras menu
but as its happening with both cameras it may be the service pack,
As suggested above reistalling Canons EOS utility maigh be all it takes
However, using a standalone card reader without success is a bit more worrying

[Crocodile]

Originally Posted by senu

They may also need to change the communication type on the cameras menu....

I though of that but looking at the 400D menu structure on DPReview, that option doesn't seem to be there.

Just connected the missus' S5 to my XP-SP2 laptop & that connected straight away after self-installing standard MS drivers (from 2001).

Is the camera listed (with it's full name) as an Imaging Device in Device Manager? May be worth trying Update Driver from there. Other than that it does sound rather like there's a problem with the USB drivers. Try updating those as well in the same way.

Only other things I can suggest is temporarily disabling any firewall/antivirus, uninstall SP3 & maybe any Canon software.

[Manic78]

Originally Posted by Gingerbillc

If you can import from cards then why bother, if it aint broke, don't fix it. I'd never attch my camera to my pc unless my life depended on it, even then...

Is there any particular reason for that?

It's just that's what I do. Am I in line for a problem lurking?

[JohnG]

I find copying files across far quicker when I put the card in a USB card reader and copying them manually. It can take ages plugging the camera in and using the Canon software do do it and a couple of times I've had the battery run out on the camera whilst doing this.

[ljphil78]

I always plug my camera into the PC now i'm using CF (i cant stand CF personally but thats what 40d's come with ) i dont like the thought of bending one of those little pins in the camera, my old SD camera i would always use the card reader

[senu]

Originally Posted by ljphil78

I always plug my camera into the PC now i'm using CF (i cant stand CF personally but thats what 40d's come with ) i dont like the thought of bending one of those little pins in the camera, my old SD camera i would always use the card reader

Different strokes
If you have more than one PC . do you then install the software to all of them?
If you are out and about ( a friends house with a PC) and you take a picture to give him ? her . What would be more convenient than simply popping the card into a USB reader
CF card in the early days did not have front/ back orientation. For a while now you cannot force them in the wrong way to bend any PIN
We have 4 cameras with CF ( and one at work) and have never messed any of the Pins.

One area when connecting to PC ( or Laptop) is advantageous is tethered shooting.. You can shoot directly to HDD and preview on a Laptop monitor rathar than the cameras