A Fix for Sony Camera Connection Problems with Windows XP

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mikey O
  • Start date Start date
M

Mikey O

I have noticed a lot of you with Sony digital cameras are having
problems connecting them to Windows XP. I had a similar problem with
my new Sony DSC-V1 not connecting to Windows XP Professional. I was
able to get it to work after about 12 hours of trying any and
everything.

First off, this isn't the Autoplay problem I've been reading that some
people have. For that, I'd download a fix from Microsoft
(http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/3/2/2326455e-a840-4c61-bc28-3afa1820b240/AutoFix.exe)

When I would connect my camera, XP would find a new USB device and
call it "Unknown Device." At that point, XP gave up and wouldn't do
anything else with it. After a lot of messing around with drivers
(which, Sony says they're aren't any for XP), I though maybe it was a
conflict with my other USB devices (a Microsoft keyboard and a
Logitech optical mouse). Sure enough, something with my current USB
setup was bad. Here's what I did:

1.) Go to Device Manager (Right-click on "My Computer" | Choose
"Properties" | Click on the "Hardware" Tab | Click on "Device
Manager")
2.) Scroll down to Universal Serial Bus controllers & expand it (click
on the Plus box). This was where XP was listing my camera as "Unknown
Device"
3.) Find the "USB Universal Host Controller" (mine was called "Intel®
82810AA USB Universal Host Controller")
4.) Right-click it and choose "Uninstall" & confirm it with "OK"
5.) Restart your computer, and turn the camera on before XP starts up.
6.) The first device XP found was "Sony DSC" and the corresponding
devices with it.

NOTE: If you're like me and have a mouse and keyboard connected via
USB, it might be difficult initiating a restart without them, unless
you it the Reset button on your computer, which will usually cause
checkdisk to start up and take more time. If you want to do a
complete shutdown/restart, go to a Command Prompt (Click Start | Run |
Type command | OK) and type:

shutdown –r –t xx

…where xx is the number of seconds XP will wait until it automatically
restarts (I'd pick 120, just so you have enough time to go to Device
Manager and follow the steps above).

After you type the above, hit Enter and follow Steps 1-6 above.
Hopefully, your camera will be found by XP and you don't have to stay
up another night and curse Sony & Microsoft until you're blue in the
face.

Hope that helps,
Mike O
 
If you connected the camera before installing the drivers, even for a
moment, you will have problems. As your install instructions stated, you
MUST install all drivers BEFORE connecting your camera AT ALL. I have a new
Sony digital Handycam, followed the instruction to the letter (installed the
drivers from the supplied CD, then connected the camera) and have had no
problems. XP recognized the camera first time. It's important to read and
follow those instructions exactly to avoid all of this kind of hassle.
 
Mikey O is correct: some USB controllers cannot share IRQs with certain
devices even though they are supposed to. Network cards/devices are the
worst offenders and sometimes sound cards. If you are not aware of this
anomaly and encounter problems with yur USB devices you will never solve it
unless you reconfigure how the boot process assigns IRQs.
 
Mikey O said:
I have noticed a lot of you with Sony digital cameras are having
problems connecting them to Windows XP. I had a similar problem with
my new Sony DSC-V1 not connecting to Windows XP Professional. I was
able to get it to work after about 12 hours of trying any and
everything...
Click to expand...

Or, you could have spent $20 on a card reader and be done with it.
 
LB said:
If you connected the camera before installing the drivers, even for a
moment, you will have problems. As your install instructions stated, you
MUST install all drivers BEFORE connecting your camera AT ALL. I have a new
Sony digital Handycam, followed the instruction to the letter (installed the
drivers from the supplied CD, then connected the camera) and have had no
problems. XP recognized the camera first time. It's important to read and
follow those instructions exactly to avoid all of this kind of hassle.
Click to expand...

Ah, but the thing is, to quote the Sony DSC-V1 instruction manual (pg.
85 & 86) and the Sony technician that I talked to on the phone:

"When using Windows XP, you need not install the USB driver."

This is because there is NO driver written for this camera for Windows
XP. If there would have been, I would have installed it and probably
wouldn't have had any problems.

I read every page of the instruction manual before I even turned the
camera on.

Mike O
 
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