XP shuts down when plugging in camera

[kh707]

Just recently when I plug my camera into the usb portmy monitor immediately shows "no signal" then goes black. Nothing I do will get it back to the desktop and in fact my computer freezes at that point. The only way to deal with it is to actually unplug it and reboot. Of course this doesn't happen every time I plug in the camera - just sometimes! And today when it happened I actually lost a photo (the one I needed of course). That was the first time that I lost anything.

I'm running xp home sp-2. Use AVG for my anti-virus. Any help or suggestions anyone can give will be greatly appreciated!

 

[linney]

Are there any kind of errors in the Device Manager, or even the Event Viewer?

To get further information about any error look in your Event viewer.

Look in the System or Application folder. You can get to the Event Viewer via right click My Computer icon and select Manage.

Any errors logged in the Event Viewer can be expanded by double clicking on the error line.

Take any event error I.D. number and search for it on these sites.

http://www.eventid.net/events.asp

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/support/ee/search.aspx

Also check any "Information" line that mentions "savedump" and you should find reference to "recovered from a bug check". This is the Stop Error that caused your problem if it is in fact trying to reboot when it goes black on the screen.

You can also turn off "automatically restart after an error" so it will just halt at the fault and display the full Stop Error and blue screen.

Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties .
On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery .
Click to clear the Automatically restart check box under System failure , and then click OK . The error message on a blue screen should remain on the screen so you can record the error information.

Have you tried to use Device Manager to delete the USB root hubs that show on your machine now? Reboot and let XP rediscover the ports.

314634 - Windows XP Does Not Detect Your New USB Device

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314634&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

USB device does not function after connecting device to a Windows XP Service Pack 2-based computer or to a Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005-based computer

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;870893&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

General USB troubleshooting in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310575&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

HOW TO: Disable the Use of USB Storage Devices in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q823732#3

AutoPlay intermittently does not detect removable media or digital cameras

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;822660&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

In the BIOS settings for your computer, load the 'Fail-Safe' default settings, and then reactivate the most frequently used options such as USB Support.



Try running ChkDsk to check your camera/drive for errors. Right-click your Camera/Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking. Select both boxes.

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/5/14.asp

Data Recovery.

Recover Data From Erased Memory Sticks.

http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2002/2002-07-22.htm#8

Thumb drives

http://www.pcinspector.de/smart_media_recovery/uk/welcome.htm

 

[JockMullin]

If this is happening immediately upon connecting the camera it sounds possibly electrical. I have a similar thing when I connect to the computer while the camera is on the charger - computer on UPS but camera plugged directly into the mains. Now I only connect the camera when running on batteries.

The other possibility would be a bad USB cable.

And of course you have to be careful of static when making a USB connection. Have you tried another USB port?

Jock

 

[kh707]

Wow...lots of info here. I must say that most is over my head as I certainly know my limits as to what I can and can't do.

Yes, I've tried a different usb plug. Don't think it would be the cable as it happened with my old camera as well which has a different cable.

Thanks again for all the suggestions...

 

[linney]

What don't you understand or require help with, don't be afraid to ask, it is the only way to learn?

Most of the things posted on a forum are only suggestions and things to try. One suggestion might be right, in which case many of the suggestions are wrong, or more likely none are right. You just keep trying different suggestions until the problem is solved, or the camera goes flying out of the window.

Do you know anybody who is game enough to let you plug the camera into another machine? Are you able to run anything USB on this machine?

 

[firewolfrl]

something that might work would be a powered USB 2 external hub. I have had success with PDA type devices.

a secondary USB 2 PCI adapter works good too.

also do you have any other devices plugged in to USB ports on your computer?

how old is your computer? what are the specifcations?

some camera's have issues with USB 1.1 when they are USB 2

good luck

 

[kh707]

Thanks to everyone but I think the problem might well be the usb port itself. I just tried to plug in a recorder into it and it did the very same thing. Guess that would mean it is not the camera! Guess it is time to get it into someone to have a new usb card (is it a card?) installed. Thanks again for everyone's input...and yes linney you are correct that this is the place to ask for help and even more specific help if I don't understand what is being told to me. I'll certainly keep that advise in mind when I ask my next question - which I'm sure I will! Thanks again!

 

[linney]

I am not a hardware expert, but I thought the USB ports connect to the motherboard directly, I could easily be wrong there and will be happy for any correction.

Anyway, what I wanted to really say is for you to try this before you take the next step, it is one of the things I mentioned earlier, and that is to use Device Manager to delete the USB root hubs that show on your machine now. Reboot and let XP rediscover the ports.

 

[H82bu]

Hi,

Try that last thing Linney said. If it's still no go, it sounds to me like a power supply going bad or not powerful enough.

Most USB devices pull power from your computer.

My story: I upgraded to a new vid card that needed extra power. When I tried to run anything that needed 3D my machine would cut off. I would also have to unplug the power supply to get it to start up again.

Good Luck,
Ed

 

[firewolfrl]

ok what cards and onboard peripherals do you have?
please list from AGP to all the PCI slots down?

if you have a conflict with a component in the slot IRQ share assigns at a basic BIOS level....(this may not read as a conflict in windows...or give an error). This may be why you are crashing in the USB ports

(example) lets say your network, sound, or any other PCI card is sharing the IRQ assignment with the onboard USB hub in PCI slot3. if the component in the PCI slot3 does not share with the USB hub then you have a basic conflict that has nothing to do with windows...this is a pure hardware issue


also what USB connection are you plugging into? Is it the plugin in the back on the Motherboard?
or is it a wired plugin ot the front? this could be wired wrong.


good luck