For Christmas, I got a NICE digital camera: 3.0-5.0 megapixal, 8x opitical zoom, and 8x digital camera. I had picked it without knowing it, surprisingly! However, that's another story. Anyway, I can install the software, but I can't download anything. The computer only recognizes my scanner. Do you guys/gals have any solution? Thanks for your time.

Depending on the age of your computer your USB ports might be the older 1.0 version and your camera probably uses 2.0 technology. If this is the case you will need to update your ports to 2.0 as the two dont seem to be compatible. You can pick up a cheap PCI to USB card for about 20 bucks. HTH
Cheers,
Bryan

It would be helpful to have more details. What computer is it and what operating system is it running? What kind of camera is it (make and model). Is it connecting using USB of FireWire? What type of memory media does this camera use, Flash, Memory Stick, etc? Do you see any errors when you connect the camera to your PC? List of questions could go on and on. I'll be glad to help but need more details.

I agree with Bryan. It sounds like a USB 1.0 vs USB 2.0 issue. Check the packaging to see the system requirements and if you need USB 2.0 its an easy fix.

When I plug an USB 2 item in to my laptop which has USB 1 ports, I only get a message telling me that "this item can work faster if you conect it to a USB 2 port". Doh, thanks for telling me that.. It works fine however. It sounds to me that your operating system does not 'recognise' your camera, as it has no drivers loaded for it. Are you using XP or one of the earlier O/S? XP will detect a new devise by itself and will prompt you through the instalation proccess, but the older O/S's will need you to go in and install all drivers etc yourself.

Cheers
Henk

I'd check with Henk's suggestion of making sure the drivers are loaded. Also, does the camera have to be in a special mode or setting to transfer pictures.

Paul

Wow! I hadn't expected such a large response! Okay, it's a Vivitar "Vivicam 3765", it can use Secure Digital Memory Cards, has 16 megabytes of internal memory, and uses a USB cable (Type unknown). My computer is an HP Pavilion, it's rather old, uses a 1.0 (?) USB port. I'm guessing that I have to install everything on my own. Oh, and I'm using Windows 98. Thanks for your time.

That would be it. Head over to the computer store and tell them you need a USB 2 card compatible with Win 98.

And whilst you upgrade your computer, you might want to consider upgrading to XP, I think it's worth it, it makes working with images so much easier as you can 'drag and drop' it all.

Henk

What is "XP"? Also, how could I install something to make it work? Thanks for your time.

"XP" is Windows newest version. Well not so new anymore. But, it is miles ahead of the antiquated Windows 98.

With XP, working with digi photos is extremely simplified. Buying a whole new system is no small thing if you only want to work with pictures. Though you can get a decent system for easily under $500.

XP is the most recent version of the Windows operating system, but you probably can't load it on your current computer because it requires a lot of hard drive space and processor speed. I believe there are cards that will work. Again, if you haven't been inside your computer, you might want to consult a professional at a good computer store, a locally owned shop is best, followed by a computer based chain such as CompUSA, then maybe Circuit City. Any place else is a waste of time.

Ah, okay, I understand! Where can I get XP? Thanks for your time.

MEMB, you can get Windows XP from nearly any PC friendly store, ie. Comp USA, Circut City, Office Depot, etc. Also there are many online stores that offer it. If you have the original Windows 98 CD you need only purchase the upgrade version, which is around $50 less than the full version.

XP has minimum system requirements:
*PC with 300 megahertz (MHz) or higher processor clock speed recommended; 233-MHz minimum required;* Intel Pentium/Celeron family, AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible processor recommended
*128 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher recommended (64 MB minimum supported; may limit performance and some features)
*1.5 gigabyte (GB) of available hard disk space.
*Super VGA (800 × 600) or higher resolution video adapter and monitor
*CD-ROM or DVD drive

Or, since you already have a USB port on your current PC, all you need to get is one of these below which sells for about $12 in Comp USA:



And yes, it will work on USB 1 or above.

Oh BTW, in order to easily find out what your current system's specs are, just go to the Start menu's Run dialog and type:

dxdiag

Although it's designed to diagnose DirectX problems, the System, Sound, and Display tabs of the dialog provide useful information about the CPU, memory, sound card, and display adapter—including the amount of video memory.
Of course, a prime source of system information is the System Information applet itself. From the Start menu, select Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Information. The Hardware Resources and Components groups in particular reveal data about the system's hardware. You may not be able to interpret all of the information, but you can save a text report and pass it along to tech support.

Hope that helps...