PC Pals Forum
Technical Help & Discussion => Windows PCs & Software: Help, News & Discussion => Topic started by: gelertdog on September 21, 2008, 11:19
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Hi
I have recently bought a Sony Cybershot DSC-S730 digital camera and cannot upload any photos to my computer. The problem is that when I try to import the photos using the picture motion browser software and USB cable it doesn’t work as it says it ‘cannot find media source for importing’. The USB is plugged in firmly and I have reinstalled the software. When I went back to my old Kodak Easyshare camera and used the memory card with a USB connecter, the Kodak camera is recognised in the picture motion browser. When I initially phoned Sony, they gave no solution saying it probably was my computer and I could send it to them under the European Guarantee but they would end up charging me if they could find no fault with the camera. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Sian
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What happens if you simply connect the camera to the computer, is it seen as an external hard drive? What software came with the camera? Do you have access to a card reader? What OS are you running? Sorry for all the questions.
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Hi Sian, and :welcome:
I don't tend to use any camera manufacturer's software, but simply connect the camera to the PC via USB, and it appears in My Computer as an external drive, as Rik said. I also have a Cybershot, and haven't had any problems downloading photos to the PC by that method.
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Hi
When I connect to the computer the usb connection is recognised as it comes up with an F drive but there is nothing in it! The Kodak easyshare camera is recognised when I use a card reader. I am using XP and the software to access your photos is called 'picture motion browser'. I dont have a card reader for this camera as the one I had given to me for my kodak easyshare doesnt fit with the memory stick pro duo I bought for the cybershot. I take it that there is such a card reader for this camera that might solve my problem? Sorry I do not have much experience with all this!Thanks
Sian
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Does just one extra drive come up in My Computer? I'm wondering if it's seeing the SD card in the camera as a separate drive?
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hi Simon
Yes just one extra drive (f) comes up. Sian
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So, the folder is entirely empty? You don't have a DCIM folder inside it? If that's the case, I don't really know what to suggest. I assume that photos on the camera can be viewed from the camera itself? One other thing, have you tried a different USB port on the computer?
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Hi again
Yes the folder is empty-no dcim folder. I can view the photos I took ok and have tried the other usb port. When I first tried to import a message came up on screen (where the usb is recognised) which mentioned a malfunction. It disappeared quickly and hasn't come again so I can't tell you what it exactly says. Do you know anything about these 'card readers 'would it be worthwhile me getting one as otherwise its money down the drain as Sony dont seem to want to honour the guarantee. Thanks for your help. sian
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I presume that you are using the weird and wonderful dedicated USB lead that came with your Cybershot Sian? I also have a Cybershot which uploads without any trouble.
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hi clive
Yes I am using the usb lead that came with the camera. sian
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It should just work, Sian. :( If you right-click the drive in Explorer and select properties, what information do you get?
Trying the memory card via a card reader would establish there's no fault with the card, if you know anyone who has one (you could also try the camera on another machine to eliminate that issue).
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If the unit is proved to be faulty, Sian, Sony (or rather, the retailer from which you purchased it), has no option but to honour the warranty.
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If it's less than six months old, it's not even down to the customer to prove it's faulty, rather the retailer has to prove it's not.
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Vaguely on that subject, and knowing your knowledge of consumer issues, Rik, is a warranty still valid if an end user performs a firmware update on a product, and it doesn't fix the problem, or actually makes things worse?
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If the firmware is officially supported by the manufacturer, and made available to the public for use, ie not just available from tech support, then it wouldn't affect the warranty providing it had been done correctly, ie in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Enough weasel words for you there, Simon? ;)
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Yes, thanks Rik. :thumb:
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hi again
when I right click and select properties the following info comes up:
ST3160023AS disk drives
Sony DSc USB Device disk drives
Sony Cd-RW crx217e dvd/cd-E
Sony dvd-romddu1615 dvd/cdr
All stated as working properly!
Sian
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I think Rik may have meant you to Right click > Properties on the actual drive folder (F?) in My Computer, Sian. :)
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I did, sorry Sian. :blush:
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hi
yes thats what i did. sian
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That looks like a list of your available drives, Sian. What we're asking you do to, is click My Computer on your desktop, then within that screen, right click the folder that's supposed to be the camera, and select properties. If that's what you are doing, then I'm also very confused! :stars: ;D
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Hi
I went to my computer, rightclicked on the f drive (no camera is identidied btw) and went to properties. The info above is from the hardware tab. What am I supposed to be looking for.Thanks. Sian
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sorry to confuse matters - but did you have a CD come with the camera, just wondering if you have to install any particular device drivers, I doubt it but maybe.
I think it the hardware tab, they are suggesting that you should see your camera make and model (and I think it would be under imaging devices)
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Right, I'm with you now, Sian. What does it say on the General tab? Is there a pie chart with the amount of space left on the drive? I think Rik's probably the best one for this, and he won't be around till the morning now, but that should give an indication of whether it's detecting any data on the drive.
Any help appreciated, Sam! :blush:
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Hi again simon!
yes, in the general tab the pie chart shows it all in blue- used space rather than pink -unused space and zero bytes. incidently when I just connected and checked it just know the error message that i referred to previously reappeared! ( I had my kodak card in the other usb with a card reader -this works fine) The message read ' USB device not recognised. One of the usb devices attached to this computer has malfunctioned and windows does not recognise it'. When I clicked on the 'explain' link and clicked on the 'unknown device' link it says that no drivers are installed for this device'.
Thanks again
sian
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Right, well perhaps it is a driver issue? As Sam said, do you have a CD with the camera? Also, what version of Windows are you running? You mentioned a card reader, does the card from the Sony work in it? Sorry for all the questions, but usually you just plug these things in and they work. Oh, one other thing, are you removing the Kodak before connecting the Sony? I wouldn't have thought it would make any difference, but it just might.
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I guess that means you might need to install the drivers for the camera, if it is an unknown device then that's what I would do (you have to bear with me I'm trying to remember how you do things in Windows). Did a disk come with the camera?
Also can you not just put the card that is in the camera into the card reader? (though I might have missed if you tried this above).
EDIT: I see Simon asked the same questions! lol
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Sorry Sam! Great minds think alike. Just a shame there's none round here! ;D
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Are you using a hub, Sian, or plugging the camera straight into the computer?
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Hi
To answer the recent questions. Yes the camera came with a disc with the pictre motion browser on it and handbook and set up guide. I am plugging straight into the computer into the usb ports which works with my other camera.I haven't got a card reader - I don't know which one will work with my memory stick duo? (need advice here) I'm using xp and yes I remove the other camera first.
Sian
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It's frustrating, Sian, as this should just work without you jumping through any hoops. Do you have access to another computer you could try the camera on?
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Hya Rik
Yeah I know what you mean it should work without me having to shell out any more money. Its a bit difficult to try it on another computer immediately due to me not going round anyones house for a bit as they are all at work and I've recently had a baby but I think will have to sort out checking it one evening sometime if I can! :(
Sian
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Hya Rik
Yeah I know what you mean it should work without me having to shell out any more money. Its a bit difficult to try it on another computer immediately due to me not going round anyones house for a bit as they are all at work and I've recently had a baby but I think will have to sort out checking it one evening sometime if I can! :(
Sian
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Hi Sian,
Sorry we seem to be stabbing in the dark here, but as Rik said, it should just work!
Just an idea, but I wonder if it's worth removing the Sony software, in case that's somehow stopping Windows from using it's own drivers? It may be a long shot, but I think anything is worth a try at this stage.
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Hi
the saga continues...I removed the software but it makes no difference it still isn't recognised and no dcim shows in the f drive and the error message about malfunction mentioned previously came up again.
Sian
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Hi Sian,
Not being funny, but sometimes we can be looking so deeply at a problem, that we miss the blindingly obvious, so I have to ask, are you 100% certain that the 'F' drive is the correct one for the camera? :blush: Unless anyone else has any bright ideas, I'm starting to think that this is a faulty camera, which is why it would be useful if you could test it on another computer, but I understand your situation with the new baby. Everything OK with him / her?
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Hi
Right, here goes, I double checked and tried by plugging camera both usb ports one after another. They both come up as F drives by the way (but when I plug my old Kodak card in a card reader it comes up as G). To start the same thing that was happening before occured i.e no dcim etc (i have not reinstalled the picture motion browser software). Then, i think it said 'initializing' and it went to whole screen and one of my photos appeared followed by another (like a slide show) then it stopped no other photos appeared and I closed it as you would do with a slide show. there was no dcim in the f drive folder and then when i clicked on it again the following mesage came up @ f:\ is not accesible the request could not be performed because of an I/0 device error. !!!
Sian
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It's getting a bit over my head now, Sian, and I/O errors are not my bag, but it does seem as though the computer is having trouble reading from the camera (or the camera memory card). Oh, just a thought, do you have another memory card you could try in the camera? Just wondering if it might be a dodgy card? Failing that, I think the next step is to somehow try the camera with another computer, and if it doesn't work, it more or less proves a fault with either the camera or the memory card.
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I think it may be worth having a look in the Device Manager when the camera is connected and then you should see a yellow ! or similar next to something that you can reinstall the drivers on.
Let it see if it can find them by itself but if it cant then load your CD and tell it to look on the CD for the drivers.
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Hi all
It’s working!! I’ve just done what was suggested above and look in device manager but it said the drivers were up to date but whilst doing that I realised there were two extra USB ports round the back of the computer. I’ve only ever used those at the front and they have always worked. Well it worked and the port I plugged in to recognised my photos and camera! I probably wouldn’t have realised this if I wasn’t following the advice of Sandra so thanks very much! But thanks to everyone who has persevered with it all (sounds like I’m at the Oscars!) and I now can play around with my new camera to take piccys of my new baby, Reuben who is going on for 4 months old soon! I can’t believe it was so simple in the end but I didn’t realise there were 4 USB ports on my computer!! Thanks again. Sian
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excellent! have fun with the camera
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Glad you got it sorted, Sian. Come back whenever you like! :thumb:
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I will. Thanks again all you helped me sort it. Sian