I'm having trouble importing my pictures from my camera... help!?

Question

I have a Canon Powershot S330. I can take the pictures just fine but when I try to import them on to my computer the screen shuts off. Usually the computer can locate the camera and then gives me options with what to do, but that doesn't happen. So... it doesn't connect or something.

The camera screen goes blank, not the computer. But thanks for the help anyway!

Answer 1

Here's some things to check:

. Camera must be turned on, and batteries must be charged.

. Computer must have software to do the import. Did Canon give you any? If you are running WinXP, the Camera and Scanner Wizard will do it.

. Your USB cable must be fully plugged in and not damaged.

. You could take the memory card out of the camera and plug it into a card reader. Then use Windows Explorer to copy the pics. (Some computers come with memory card readers, or you can buy one for $30 or less)

I can't tell exactly what the problem is, so I hope one of these ideas helps.

Answer 2

Rather than using the software that came with the camera, I always use the Windows program that came with the computer to download anything from a "removable drive" such as your camera, assuming you are running Windows. I select the drive and click through the folders until I find the photos I want. I select the photos and then copy them to the folder for photos on my hard drive. I'm not sure if you meant your camera screen goes blank or if your computer screen goes blank, but I would try to use this method of transferring your photos to your computer. If the pictures don't transfer, something may be wrong with your camera or the usb cable is not attached properly. If you have a card reader, you could bypass the camera altogether. If the transfer is successful, then you can more easily pinpoint the problem.

If it is your computer screen shutting off, is your computer too old to handle the amount of information from the camera? Does the computer screen shut off during regular operation or is it just hibernating because it is waiting for something to happen, and there is no communication between the camera and the computer? These are some more options to think about.