How can I make my Lumix camera mate with Windows 7 like it used to?
January 10, 2011 2:54 PM Subscribe
Why did my Lumix camera stop automatically transferring my pics/video when I plug it in?
I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3, which I have owned for maybe 18 months now. I leave the USB cable plugged in to my computer, since I like to transfer pics and video by letting Windows 7 "see" the device, and then offering to transfer the content, named with the date, etc.
At some point in the past couple of months, that stopped working. Now when I plug my camera in, and turn it on, it will say "Connecting to PC" on the back of the camera, and the camera will show up as a removable disc within Windows. I can manually drag the content out of the camera and name them, but it's far less elegant than having Windows do it automatically, naming the files, and then deleting the copied content.
When I run the "Scanners and Cameras" control panel within Win7, my camera does not appear, and in fact, when I choose "add device", it does not allow me to add the Lumix. I've tried installing the awful software that comes with the Lumix, but it is, as I said, awful software, and there was nothing wrong with the way it worked before...until it stopped working! There is no helpful software on the Lumix support page, and I just can't help thinking that I did something unknowingly to mess up this process in the past.
I tried to let Picasa automatically copy the pics/vids from the camera, but for some reason, it seems to neglect the video content, which is far from ideal.
This irks me and I need help! I'm prepared to slap my forehead in shame when you help me figure this out, since I suspect it's something really really simple that I am overlooking....
I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3, which I have owned for maybe 18 months now. I leave the USB cable plugged in to my computer, since I like to transfer pics and video by letting Windows 7 "see" the device, and then offering to transfer the content, named with the date, etc.
At some point in the past couple of months, that stopped working. Now when I plug my camera in, and turn it on, it will say "Connecting to PC" on the back of the camera, and the camera will show up as a removable disc within Windows. I can manually drag the content out of the camera and name them, but it's far less elegant than having Windows do it automatically, naming the files, and then deleting the copied content.
When I run the "Scanners and Cameras" control panel within Win7, my camera does not appear, and in fact, when I choose "add device", it does not allow me to add the Lumix. I've tried installing the awful software that comes with the Lumix, but it is, as I said, awful software, and there was nothing wrong with the way it worked before...until it stopped working! There is no helpful software on the Lumix support page, and I just can't help thinking that I did something unknowingly to mess up this process in the past.
I tried to let Picasa automatically copy the pics/vids from the camera, but for some reason, it seems to neglect the video content, which is far from ideal.
This irks me and I need help! I'm prepared to slap my forehead in shame when you help me figure this out, since I suspect it's something really really simple that I am overlooking....
Response by poster: I've been reluctant to update the firmware since it apparently makes third-party (read: much cheaper) batteries incompatible with the camera. Wonder if I can reverse the firmware upgrade if it doesn't fix the problem and I want my cheap batteries to work?
posted by newfers at 7:14 PM on January 10, 2011
posted by newfers at 7:14 PM on January 10, 2011
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When something like that happens to me, I usually find it's a device driver or firmware incompatibility caused by an update to the Windows 7 OS.
posted by tully_monster at 3:52 PM on January 10, 2011