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The Computer Does Not Recognize the Connected Camera

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Issue

After connecting the camera cable to the computer, there is a complete lack of communication. The computer does not recognize the camera even though both appear to be working normally.

Solution

To resolve these communication difficulties, follow the steps below.

Step one: Check for hardware communication

  1. Turn on the camera and connect it to the computer, preferably through one of the USB Ports on the back of the computer.
  2. Open the Device Manager .
    1. Right-click My Computer .
    2. Left-click Properties .
    3. Open the Device Manager .
      • Windows 98: On the System Properties window, click the Device Manager tab.
      • Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows XP: On the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab, and then click the Device Manager button.
  3. Look for items that pertain to the camera such as USB Camera, HP xxx Digital Camera, or Unknown Device. Check under Imaging Devices, Other Devices, and Universal Serial Bus Controllers by clicking the plus (+ ) sign next to each.
  4. When you locate the camera, highlight it and click Remove at the bottom of Device Manager.
    You may need to right-click the item, and then select to Remove or Uninstall .
  5. Refresh the Device Manager.
The camera should now be listed properly under Imaging Devices. The listing should not be preceded by an exclamation (!). If an exclamation mark is present, continue to Step two.

Step two: Test the camera with Disk Drive mode

Change the camera to Disk Drive Mode to allow the computer to recognize the camera as a removable disk drive.
  1. Follow the steps below to open the Device Manager:
    1. Right-click My Computer .
    2. Click Properties .
    3. Open the Device Manager .
      • Windows 98: On the System Properties window, click the Device Manager tab.
      • Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows XP: On the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab, and then click the Device Manager button.
      NOTE: The camera could be listed under many different items in device manager.
  2. Look for items that pertain to the camera such as USB Camera, HP xxx Digital Camera, or Unknown Device. Check under Imaging Devices, Other Devices, and Universal Serial Bus Controllers by clicking the plus (+ ) sign next to each.
  3. When you locate the camera, highlight it and click Remove at the bottom of Device Manager.
    You may need to right-click the item, and then select to Remove or Uninstall .
  4. Close all windows and disconnect the camera from the computer.
  5. With the camera disconnected from the computer, turn on your camera.
  6. From any other menu, use the left/right arrow buttons to navigate to the Setup menu.
  7. Highlight and select USB Configuration and then press OK .
  8. Highlight and select Disk Drive and then press OK .
  9. Reconnect the camera to the computer.
The computer should find New Hardware and install the camera in Disk Drive mode.
The camera should re-appear in Device Manager and the software should prompt to unload images. If that does not happen, continue to Step three to remove and reinstall the camera software.
NOTE: The new mode setting will also allow access to the camera as a Removable Disk through the My Computer window.

Step three: Remove and reinstall the camera software

Remove the camera software

Follow the steps below to uninstall the camera software on a computer with Microsoft Windows:
  1. Open the Control Panel.
    • Windows 98: Click Start , click Settings , and then click Control Panel .
    • Windows XP: Click Start and then click Control Panel .
  2. In Control Panel, select Add/Remove Programs .
  3. In Add/Remove Programs, highlight and remove the HP Photo and Imaging Software .
  4. You may also remove the program folder installed with the camera to help with a complete removal of the software: C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\“Digital Imaging ”
    NOTE: If you have more than one HP device using the Photo and Imaging Software, be sure to remove the correct listing for the camera only .

Install the camera software

Follow the steps below to install the software application on a computer with Microsoft Windows:
NOTE: For Windows computers, the HP Instant Share component of the HP Photo & Imaging software needs at least Internet Explorer 5.01 to function properly.
  1. Insert the HP Photo & Imaging software CD into the CD drive of your computer. The installation window automatically appears.
    NOTE: If the installation window does not appear, click Start , and then click Run . Type X:\SETUP.EXE , where X is the letter of your CD drive.
  2. Click Next , and then follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.
  3. Restart the computer.

Test connectivity

Follow these steps to test camera functionality on the computer.
  1. Turn on the camera.
  2. Connect the Camera-to-computer USB cable to the computer, preferably to the USB port in the back of the computer.
  3. Connect the other end of the cable to the camera. In a moment, the computer recognizes the camera connection. The camera displays Connected to computer on the LCD screen.
  4. The camera software opens on the computer and prompts the user to Start Camera Unload .
  5. Images unload from the camera to the computer and begin to display on the screen. When all the images are unloaded to the computer, the Image Gallery window opens so the photos can be viewed, edited, or printed.