What if Vista does not recognize a digital camera?

When you connect a digital camera to a computer running Windows Vista, the camera is not recognized by the system. When this issue occurs, you may encounter the following conditions:

1. The AutoPlay window is not displayed.

2. The AutoPlay window is displayed, but the Import Pictures and Videos option is not available.

3. The camera is not listed in the "Import from Camera or Scanner" dialog box in Windows Vista Photo Gallery.

Cause

This issue occurs if the camera uses the Microsoft Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) standard to transfer pictures to your computer. Windows Vista imports pictures and videos using the Windows Portable Device (WPD) standard instead of the WIA standard.

Note: The WPD standard supports a variety of device and device connectivity options.

Fault Status

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft products.

Solution

To resolve this issue, configure the camera to use the Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) standard instead of the WIA standard. For information on how to configure the camera to use the PTP standard, see the camera's user manual or visit the camera manufacturer's website.