help!

[dicentra spectabilis]

I bought a Canon Powershot A95, and I can't figure out how to get the pictures off my camera and onto the computer! My old digital camera, all I had to do was hook up the cable and turn the camera on. This one doesn't do anything when I do that. There were 2 CDs that came with the camera, and I installed them both, but I still can't figure it out. I've had the camera since December, but I haven't had time to really spend any time trying to figure it out.

I'm really not as stupid as this makes me sound, I just don't have the time or the patience. Can anyone help me?

 

[TSharpFilm]

Step #1) Read the instruction manual.

I used to have the same camera. Which operating system are you using? I know with Windows XP all you have to do is plug the USB cable into your computer and into your camera, and Windows will pretty much guide you along the process.

 

[dicentra spectabilis]

I have windows xp, and I tried that, but it's not working. And have you SEEN the instruction manual for this thing? I don't have the time or the attention span...

 

[michabo]

My suggestion, and not to be too blunt, is to wait until you do have the time, patience, and attention span. Don't expect others to help if you refuse to help yourself.

 

[Kalista]

If you're having problems customer service is always there to help you. Find their number in the manuel and give them a call.

 

[dicentra spectabilis]

Thanks for your suggestion, michabo, but I wasn't refusing to help myself. There are lots of questions I've stumbled on by chance in different forums that I just happened to know the answer to right off the top of my head. I have no problem answering them, and it requires almost zero effort, even if it's something the person could figure out on their own with a great deal of effort. Although I realize not everyone does this, it doesn't hurt to ask the question. As it happens, I more often answer than ask. I've never seen a response to such a question like yours. Perhaps I posted in the wrong forum, and that's why you responded that way; I'm new to this site, and I'll confess that I didn't read any of the other posts in the forum before I made my post. When I saw "photography," as a forum topic, I said to myself, "ah, maybe someone there will know the solution to my problem."
My particular camera came with 5 small packets of miscellaneous information, a 35-page "direct print user guide," a 161-page "camera user guide," and a 110-page "software starter guide." I didn't mean to imply (and I often forget that there are people who assume the worst) that I hadn't looked at or read the information; I followed the startup directions to the letter, but when I tried to download the images to the computer, it didn't work. I checked all the indexes, and read all the pages of the manuals that seemed applicable, but none of them were any help. I've waded through the automated customer service line a few times, and held for up to 10 minutes a few times, but haven't had any help there either.
Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for your input, and have a nice day.

 

[michabo]

ds,

I'm sorry that you don't think my response was more helpful. Something about the way that the OP contained no information about what problems you may have, nor what things were tried. Frankly, if you don't have the time to help yourself, I'm stunned that no one else was willing to spend their time and psychic ability to help you. Maybe they thought that after writing a new manual for you, you wouldn't read it because you don't have the time or patience.

I know, I know, I probably sound like a horrible person. Who knows, maybe I am, but not always. I even toyed with the idea of seeking repentence by trying to give you something more specific and practical, but I see you cleverly managed to avoid giving us any information about your problem which we might use to help you. Ah well.

Enjoy your camera.


Okay, some real help: quit moping, whinging and making elaborate shows of self-pity, take your camera to a photo finishing lab and let them take the images off the camera. At home, read the manual, all 110 pages. Look at all the pictures. Understand it, all of it. Call the help line and spend whatever time is required to speak to someone - yes, even fifteen minutes, if that is what it takes.

 

[KristianJ]

The camera should either show up as a separate removable drive or have an icon to represent it in My Computer. Double click and just copy and paste the images.

 

[dicentra spectabilis]

Thanks for the suggestion, KristianJ, I tried that, but it's not even showing up with an icon or as a removable drive. According to all the information I have, it should just bring up a wizard and walk me through the downloading of images as soon as I plug the USB in and turn the camera on, it's just not doing it. I know the software is installed correctly, because when I download images from my old camera, it gives me a choice between using my old software or the Canon software. I even tried plugging in the old camera to get the wizard to come up and then switching it out for the new camera while the wizard was still up, but as soon as I disconnect the old camera, the wizard closes itself. When we first got the computer, we couldn't get the CD burner to work, and it wasn't showing up as part of the hardware on the computer (in other words, the computer didn't know it had a CD burner). I'm wondering if this is the same type of problem. I remember there was a very long process we went through to get the CD burner to work, involving multiple calls to tech support, but that was for something that actually came pre-installed in the computer. I'm sure with this one, I'll get caught in the middle between hp and Canon.
Someone else reccommended that I buy a separate card reader and try taking the memory card out and putting it in the reader, so as soon as I can get back to Best Buy, I'm going to try that.
Thanks again, have a nice afternoon.

 

[michabo]

My Computer > right click > Properties > Device Manager. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers. Do you have any errors when the camera is plugged in? What does it show when you plug your camera in? Can you disable the USB controller and re-enable?

Or, much better for you & your batteries, buy a separate flash card reader. You would plug that in (it doesn't take any software or drivers), put your flash card into the reader, and it will show up as a separate drive.

 

[KristianJ]

I'm inclined to agree with the card reader suggestion - I don't have one as yet, but they're cheap enough to warrant getting one.

 

[Starr SDA Living Word]

THANKS 4 THE SUGGESTIONS.

 

[dicentra spectabilis]

I finally got around to picking up a card reader. It was 19.99 at Best Buy, and worked like a charm. Thanks for the suggestion.