posted on October 26, 2000 03:25:48 PM
I just got a new Digital Camera. I have installed all the software, and have plugged the cord thingy into the back of the computer. It will not let me get the images from my camera because it does not recognize the camera in this port. I only have 2 ports in this size, the other is taken up with my Stamps.com scale. I am supposed to re-configure my port so it will take the camera, but have no idea how to do that. If I switch the two around won't it just not recognize stamps.com then? Heather
You are right, if you switch them around, chances are good it will find the camera but not the scale. However, you may want to try that, just to confirm that everything else is working fine (the camera, software, etc).
I won't be on much longer, but let me try to help. chances are good that only one of the physical connectors in the back is activated. Often one is activated, and the other is deactivated to let a modem use the port. Do the following: (assuming the camera works on the stamps.com port):
1. Go to CONTROL PANEL -> SYSTEM -> DEVICE MANAGER -> PORTS and see if you have one or two communication ports. You probably only have one listed. If so, you will need to reboot the computer, and go into the BIOS when it first boots (there should be a message about hitting DEL or some such key). Find the section in the BIOS pertaining to ports (it can be anywhere) and make sure that both of the serial ports are active. Assuming everything is how I think it is, then one will be DISABLED, and you need to ENABLE it, and then when windows reboots, it will add a communications port in the CONTROL PANEL, and then you can use it for your camera.
This kind of procedure often has problems, if it doesn't work right, you might lose your access to your modem. If you have problems, reboot, DISABLE that port in the BIOS, and get back on here and get some help from the west coast people.
posted on October 26, 2000 03:43:41 PM
When I use the cord for my camera, there is a certain order you have to do it in. Plug it in, turn the camera on, then open the software. If you open the software first, it wouldn't see the camera. Perhaps it is something as simple as that. Did you reboot after you installed the software also?
Have you tried the website of the camera maker? There are generally FAQ's and helps on the sites.
When you say you need to reconfigure the port, what exactly do the directions say? Post some details, what camera, what operating system.
posted on October 26, 2000 03:54:49 PM
I had this problem before when I tried to use my other camera in this port, I was cameraless for about 2 months and got Stamps.com during this time. I rebooted after I intalled the software and the cable. This is an Olympus D-360L Camera. None of this probably makes any difference, but I am using Windows 98. I have a pentium II, think it is a 433, under ports on Control Panel, I have a COM1 and COM5.
When I try and download the pics. it tells me it cannot connect to the camera. The options for fixing this are:
The camera is plugged in and the power is on (it is)
Change the port setting.
Lower Communication Speed
Camera's Mode Dial is Set to Outer Connection Mode.
Captainkirk, I am not real bright when it comes to the kind of things you are suggesting, what if I screw my computer up? Heather
posted on October 26, 2000 04:10:35 PM
Heather, the Olympus web site has some helps. It says to set the Dial on the camera to Setup Mode. Is there a setup mode on your camera?
posted on October 26, 2000 04:13:47 PM
Almost sounds like when you installed the softwear for the camera you clicked install full softwear package But you forgot to install the camera driver its self
I would just put the CD for the camera back in the your CD drive when the info tile on the CD comes up you should see two options one for installing the softwear package and one for installing the camera its self .
click the install camera button this should install the drivers and program that allows you to load the info from your camera to your computer it shouldn't matter at all which of the two ports in the back you plug into at all just remmber after the drivers are installed you have to reboot the computer and the camera cord must be pluged in to the computer to be detected by win98 the camera its self dont need to be pluged in but the cord must be in the computer each and every time you reboot so that that port will be in memmory as reserved for the camera .
posted on October 26, 2000 04:18:04 PM
Meya,
I cannot find one if there is, I bought this in Oklahoma and tested it out on my mother's computer and had none of these problems, of course she only had one port also, I am running everything here, just like I did there, but cannot get it to work. Heather
posted on October 26, 2000 04:18:42 PM
Did you try switching the port with the stamps.com cable and seeing if your camera can be found? First step is definitely to make sure the software/camera/settings are right, before messing around with bios/control panels settings for COMx. If the camera is found on this port, then you have one thing to fix; if it can't be found, then you have something else.
Yes, by messing around with COMx stuff you can make your modem not be found, or your stamps scale. It can be tricky. You may want to try and see if your camera company offers telephone support, since you can call and talk to them and try their suggestions at the same time.
If you do think you may have a problem with your COM ports, start by checking the PROPERTIES of your COM1 and COM5. See if windows identifies any conflicts. Also, you can make some of those setting changes the documentation suggests here (lower communication speed).
relax and have a beer. these problems can be tough.
PS - i'm not so sure the cord has to be plugged in at boot time. My digital camera does just fine without that, as long as windows can find it on a COMx port when I execute the TWAIN software (the software that recognizes the camera itself and downloads the pictures onto your harddrive).
[ edited by captainkirk on Oct 26, 2000 04:21 PM ]
posted on October 26, 2000 04:33:47 PM
Ok, switched everything around, the camera works fine and downloads on the stamps.com port. Surely there is a simple way to make that port work, I hate to switch this around every single day. Heather
posted on October 26, 2000 04:55:04 PM
Since you're running Win98, how about looking into a SmartMedia™ USB Reader? Does your system have USB connections?
This is an external device that allows you to transfer the information from the SmartMedia card to your hard drive without having the camera tethered to the computer. It features a fast transfer rate (up to 1 MB/sec), requires no external power, and is hot-swappable. Macintosh® computers (including iMac) and Windows®: 98 PCs with the USB interface are currently supported.
I copied that from the Olympus web site. We use a USB ImageMate to transfer files from our compact flash cards.
They also make SmartMedia floppy adapters that look like a floppy disk that you insert your smart media card into. Then you can use your floppy drive to transfer your picture files.
posted on October 26, 2000 05:13:42 PM
well, good news that the camera, etc., works.
Check in the CONTROL PANEL for conflicts between COM1 and COM5. Make sure they have different IRQs and addresses (usually IRQ4 and 3 and 3Fe8 and 2Fe8). If they have conflicts, you'll have to change settings to make them not conflict.
One thing to try is to delete both com ports in the control panel and reboot. Windows should find both ports (assuming they are active in the BIOS) and you may luck out and be ok, as windows should set them up without conflicts. Or might not
posted on October 26, 2000 05:22:09 PM
There is no need to mess with your com port settings for your digital camera and stuff these devices arent useing comports the digital camera isnt hardware controled at all its all software driven just like your scanner most of them use twain drivers and plugs in to the back of your printer.
you just install the driver plug in the cord and reboot your computer win98 will set up memory where it finds the device pluged in windows will run the camera like it was simply anther program running on the computer.
all your USB ports use the same IRQ so if you have one USB working no need to mess with settings the other will work too just not at the same time.
This mean you would nt be able to weight up and print stamps while you are loading pictures from the computer.
With all due respect, if the PHYSICAL port that a digital camera is plugged into is disabled in the BIOS, then windows never sees it. You can plug a digicam into a disabled physical port until the cows come home and it will never, ever work. If this is the case, then heather will DEFINITELY need to mess around with the com ports.
If there is no need for her to "mess around with com ports", then why isn't windows finding her digicam? She's obviously done everything else right, since it finds it on the stamps.com port.
Heather, one option is to just plug and unplug each into the one working port, depending on how easy it is to do that, and how often you would do it.
posted on October 26, 2000 06:24:58 PM
Ok, went into Bios and both ports are set on Auto, there was something about the Plug & Play OS must be set on No for Port B to work, I checked that, and it was set correctly. There are no conflicts with the ports in Properties on the Control Panel.
DMAN I tried your suggestion about the software, but there was no option for installing drivers for the Camera.
Meya, I have a LS120 drive, but something happened and now I cannot get it to work. The only drive I have is a Zip Drive. I am sure I do have a USB port, just never had anything with that. The problem with buying the extra's for the Olympus is that the prices are unreal. My camera did not come with an AC Adapter and they wanted $70.00 for one, I did find one on ebay for $24, but no good prices for the Floppy Adapter, can't use one anyway. Guess I will go search for a USB Reader, I cannot stand the thought of trading these things out every single day. Heather
It sounds as if the computer supplier disabled com2 in the computer's bios. He then installed a Winmodem with a Cirrus Logic chipset. If during the install for the modem "dos support" was turned on, the modem would have been Com2 and would have conflicted with the computer's port if it were not disabled. But in your case, "DOS support" is not enabled and the modem configured itself as Com5. In reality Windows "finds" the modem and a fixed interrupt is not necessary. If you enable Com2 in the computer's bios, your port on the back of the computer will work with the camera and your modem should still work. This assumes you have an available interrupt which you probably do if you don't have a network card, etc.
The ports built into the computer (and what the camera needs) are fixed hardware addressable devices. The camera is looking at these specific addresses. The Windows software allows the modem to communicate w/o a fixed hardware address.
Tony
posted on October 26, 2000 06:44:14 PM
(you're now allowed a second beer, by the way).
Please let us know what IRQs and addresses both com ports show in the CONTROL PANEL.
In some cases I've needed to go into the BIOS and control panel and manually set the ports to the "correct" values (IRQ4/3FE8 and IRQ3/2FE8) (note: remembering those values from memory, I think they are correct...).
Theoretically, if both serial ports are enabled in the BIOS, and show up in the control panel with those settings, they should both work, assuming no conflicts with other devices. If you do this, just for laughs, try runnig the stamps.com stuff off the "nonworking" one and see if it works...
posted on October 26, 2000 06:59:31 PM
captainkirk
Your right disabled ports in bios wont work I seen no disrepect in your reply at all.
one quick thought here I know this is going to sound down right simple.
But by chance did you remember to turn the camera on when you tried to load the pictures you took to your computer ????
or were maybe the batterys old or weak after you took your pictures to run the camera enough to upload the photos. some times you can get a bad battery the power light will come on but not enough power to run the camera when the batterys in my camera gets low the frist thing to go is the flash and then the ablity to upload data .
posted on October 26, 2000 07:03:42 PM
Ok, I got it, switched the Stamps.com scale to the "non-working" port, it still would not recognize it, it then gave me the option of picking COM2 or COM5, well COM2 would not work, (this one does not even show up on Control Panel, so I do not know where it came from) but COM5 did work. It will not work with the camera, but it does work with Stamps.com. Thank all if you for all your help, I had an auction bookmarked for a USB reader that was ending in 20 minutes, y'all saved me some cash. Thanks much, if you ever wanna know anything about Homer Laughlin or Frankoma, I am your gal, just whistle. Heather
posted on October 26, 2000 07:07:06 PM
Cool Heather...glad you got both working! Hey, speaking of Homer Laughlin, what can you tell me about Blue Bird pattern? My mom has some pieces and I've been looking to maybe get her some. She's got good taste, she also collects English Abbey.
posted on October 26, 2000 07:17:18 PM
Meya, Good luck on it, I had thought, very briefly, that I would start that pattern myself. Prices were unreal for awhile, but they have gone down quite a bit recently. Bluebird was made on different shapes, so if you are wanting to match you will need the shape name it is usually stamped on the back of the plates. Here is a link for some ended auctions, I know it looks high now, but ya should have seen it a few months ago. http://search-completed.ebay.com/cgi-bin/texis/ebaycomplete/results.html?query=bluebird&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&ebaytag1=ebayreg&ht=1&maxRecordsPerPage=100&category2=451
I seen no disrepect in your reply at all.