Computer can't see memory card in camera. What's the problem?

Question

I am a recent owner of a Kodak EasyShare (Z700) digital camera. I can take 8 to 10 pictures, then I have to download the to the computer or erase them from the camera's memory. I hoped to work around this by getting an SD card for it. Now when I attempt to transfer pictures to my computer, it's like the computer isn't seeing the camera anymore. It was fine until I started using the memory card. My computer is a desktop Dell Dimension XPSt running Windows 98se on an 800 MHZ Pentium III processor and has 256 MB RAM. No printer. What's the problem and what can I do about it? Assume I know nothing about digital photography or my camera's operation (I find the owner's manual extremely confusing).

I don't have a card reader, and if I took the card out, I don't see where it could fit into any "drive". The card is only a very small (about a half inch square) gold colored card.

Answer 1

A card reader will fit an SD card. They can be as complex as a multiple card reader hub, and as simple as a little one card reader. They are cheap, under $10 in some cases and easy to get. You can think of it as an adapter which adapts your card to a more easily read form (usb in most cases). You push your card into a little slot that holds it similar to your camera, and then it has a part that pokes out that goes into your usb port, which is the rectangular box that modern printers and scanners, external hard drives, and just about where every other "addition" to your computer is plugged in. They come in all shapes and sizes, some resemble flash drives, others resemble big hubs. When you plug it in, your computer should recognize it as an external hard drive, and allow you to access it in a similar manor. There you find a folder, sometimes called DIMM. In that your pictures are available and all you need to do is click and drag. I use an sd card for my digital camera, and yes, the card readers fit them fine, just make sure the side with the metal exposed touches the side with the metal exposed of the card reader.

Now the reason I am pushing for you to get a card reader versus anything else is that the most likely reason your computer does not read the memory card is because you are using windows 98. 98 Is an old operating system that came out before flash media was regularly used. Chances are, it just does not offer proper support. You could upgrade to 2000 pro, which will not be beyond your computers abilities, and that could very well fix the issue.

The other option is to install ubuntu. www.unbuntu.com is a website that offers a downloadable operating system (a replacement for windows) Dell.com is so impressed by this operating system that they are including it in some of their commercial computers. You can order a disk for free, which takes a few months to arrive, or you can download it and burn it. You will need a dvd writer to burn it. The latest version is on DVD, but you should be able to get an older version on CD if you do not have a dvd drive. This is a very current up to date operating system that is known for its ease of use, access to tons of free viable productivity software, and relatively undemanding system settings. Your computer can handle it, and it would be a major leap from windows 98 I highly recommend you make, even without the potential for fixing your camera problem.

Answer 2

Since you have an SD card, you shouldnt need to connect your camera. Did you take the SD card out, and insert it into the drive on your computer? Then you can go to Explorer (where you see all the files and drives on your computer) and click on the memory card drive.

Answer 3

it is possible that your card reader is not compatible with the kind of card you are using ... you might need to invest in one that is compatible to your SD card ...