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Question

XP doesn't see camera at all?

Feb 29, 2012 6:18AM PST

I volunteer at an animal shelter and we recently had a Canon PowerShot SX210 IS donated to us. This is much nicer than the crappy old Kodak we had been using. However, I can't seem to get the shelter manager's computer to see it. At all.

I know the memory card and USB are fine on the comp in question because the old camera (using the same memory card) works just fine. The newer camer shows up just fine on the other computers in the office. As far as I know there is nothing different about the manager's comp, but when I plug the new camer in, nothing happens. And I mean NOTHING. It doesn't show up as a storage device, can't find it with device manager, etc. All that happens is that the camera itself turns off after a few seconds.

Because this is a donated camera I haven't got a CD. I tried dl'ing the software from the Canon website but that didn't do anything either. I'm running XP Pro Ver 2002 SP 3 on an Intel Pentium 4 2.8 Ghz with 2 GB of RAM. Anyone have any ideas?

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Could be many things.
Feb 29, 2012 6:43AM PST

Use the memory card and card reader on this machine.

-> What you learn is to never touch the other person's PC or you may get sucked into fixing that PC.
Bob

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No can do
Feb 29, 2012 12:54PM PST

We don't have a card reader and we are dependent entirely on donations. Any other suggestions?

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Card Reader
Feb 29, 2012 11:00PM PST

You can buy a SD card reader for less than $10 at places like WalMart.

.................................

Something to try and see if the computer can see the camera:

Turn-on the camera and put it in playback mode.
(that is the mode used to view pictures that you have taken).
Leave the camera "ON".
Plug the USB cable into the camera.
Plug the USB cable into the computer.

You should then be able to find the camera with the computer.
(It will appear to be a new hard disk on your computer).
Look in all the folders on the camera and one of them will have the pictures.

..

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Just Noticed Something
Feb 29, 2012 11:13PM PST

I reread your original post and it sounds as if you are using the same memory card for both cameras.
That is a bad thing to do.

If the pictures on the card were taken with the Kodak, the Canon will likely not be able to see them.
and visa versa.

When you put a new memory card (or a card that was previously used in another camera), you should first format the card with that camera.
Then take new pictures and the computer and that camera should be able to see the pictures.

..

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$1.93 SD card reader at Amazon.
Feb 29, 2012 11:08PM PST