memory card reader doesn't appear on My Computer

[achmo]

hello,

I am trying to use my parents' c-720 Olympus camera (that works fine on their computer). I don't have the cable that connects the camera to the usb port, so I'm using the camera's memory card reader (dsc-sm) that works fine on my parents computer.

when I plug the reader in the usb port, I do get the symbol in the tray that enables to take the card out safely (so the computer does recognizes the reader was pluged in). also, the driver manager doesn't show any problem with drivers. however, the reader just doesn't appear on My Computer so I can't access the card. what can be the problem? what to do?

thanks

Yael

[renegade600]

what operating system?

[achmo]

oops, sorry, forgot to mention. winXP.

[Rich M]

And your pc is_________ with what hardware in it and what level of Service Packs?

[achmo]

pentium 1.8G, winXp home edition, service pack 2. 512MB RAM. 40G hard disk. Is there anything else relevant? (I really don't know, would gladly provide any information needed). in the meantime, I've tried a different usb port and it didn't help (and anyway, other devices do manage to connect through that port). also, I've tried using the Degital Media Formatter that was install with the reader's driver, just to see if it can access the card, and it can't. even tried inserting the card backwords, forwards, any way possible. nope.

[Rich M]

Try putting in the usb drivers from the motherboard cd...not the enhanced usb that is in service packs anyway.

[achmo]

thank you, I will. and if that doesn't work, I'll buy a cable...

[The Wizard]

In Windows XP, most Card Readers do not require a driver. any driver supplied is usually for W98 (unless it's a very old model).
Usually the Card Reader will be detected and installed automatically in XP and appear in My Computer as a Removeable Disk.

What driver/software did you install ?

[achmo]

this is what I thought, but winXp didn't have the driver. every time I plugged the reader in, I would get the Windows wizard for installing new hardware and no matter what I did, it would fail. Eventually I went to the reader manufacturer site and found there a driver for WinXP for that specific reader. It did made things better - the reader was identified by windows as plug and play and the new hardware wizard didn't activate. but still - it doesn't appear as a drive on My Computer.
I've bought a cable in the meantime (it was kinda urgent) and *that* worked fine. I think maybe something happened to the reader on the way here, so I'll check it again at my parents'.

thanks for trying, though.