Canon EOS Utility Malfunctioning with Win 11

[Wilbo]

I use a Stackshot rail system with an EOS T7 camera for microphotography.  The EOS Utility enables the camera to send the photos as they are taken to my laptop where I can process them w. stacking software. About a week ago I upgraded my sub 1 year old laptop to Windows 11 (from 10).  Ever since, I have not been able to get through a stack of photos without getting a "connection lost" message.  In a stack of 80 photos, I might get to 23 and from then on, the camera keeps functioning, but the photos don't arrive at the laptop.  At first, I thought it might be a loose connection or defective cable.  I replaced an AC camera adapter w. the camera battery thinking the adapter might have failed.  But, I still got the disconnect message often associated with a big red X over the EOS software photo frame. 

So, I replaced my new laptop with the one I had previously used for photo stacking.  Everything worked perfectly again.  Thinking the Utility may have been corrupted by the Win 11 download process itself, this morning I once again hooked up the Win 11 laptop to my camera setup, uninstalled the EOS Utility, restarted it, and then downloaded the most recent version.  Almost immediately I got the "connection lost" message again.  

It seems pretty clear, Windows 11 and EOS Utility are not getting along well together.  I can only think that until Canon upgrades the EOS Utility specifically for the Win 11 OS, I will just have to continue to use my old Win 7 laptop.  I have yet to see if the Win 11 download is reversible. 

Please let me know if you've had a problem...or not...with a similar photo equipment configuration.

[GavinJ]

It is pretty disappointing that a company such as Canon can't release an update to coincide with the release of Windows 11.  Microsoft make the release to manufacture versions available to their partners very early on, and they certainly make the beta versions available months ahead of the release.  I've just upgraded with the expectation that all would just function.  Fortunately, I still have my old system available for just this contingency. Imagine though someone purchasing a new computer with Windows 11 and no fall back version available!  Ooops, major issue. 

[Wilbo]

This is not a reply to above but an update concerning my use of the EOS Utility 3.  As stated in my original post months ago, I use the EOS Utility 3 along with a photo stacking rail system and currently a Canon t7.  At that time I had just purchased a new HP PC w. Win 10.  Shortly thereafter I "upgraded" it to Win 11 and thought it might have been the cause of my problem.

About that time I started to become aware that while in the process of setting up for and  running a "Stackshot" photo run, somewhere in the process I would get the message "Connection lost."  I thought the time length was quite random at the time.  The EOS Utility screen would freeze up and I would have to disconnect the USB cable to the camera and start all over again.  I checked for things like loose connections, bad USB cable, camera AC adapter problems in the meantime to no avail.   Shadowsports above informed me EOS Utility did no support Win 11 yet.  So, I opted to go back to my old Win7 PC in the interim hoping Canon would release a Win 11 version in a few months.  Well, it turned out I continued to have the same "Lost Connection" problem w. Windows 7!  I lived with it and just tolerated the problem for several months. 

I finally checked Canon's EOS Utility updates and as of two or three weeks ago there was no Win 11 update but there was a Win10 update ( EOS Utility 3.15.0 for Windows) in late Feb. So, I decided to try it and clean out old download leftovers on the PC.  I was puzzled that when I went to upload it, it said "Windows 10 detected."  even though I had upgraded to 11.  Anyway, I did the download anyway and....I still get the "connection lost" message.  I started to time how many minutes I would get before disconnect w. the t7.  From the time I would click the remote shooting button till the disconnect was invariably in the 7-9 minute period. I just sat and waited without activating a stacking process.  So, thinking the problem might be with the t7, I switched to an older Canon t3i (had to download EOS Utility 2 for this).  Once again, I got the "Lost connection" message this time in a 12-14 minute period.  My last attempt to determine a cause was to try to rule out some kind of current modulation effect caused by the use of an AC adapter (t3i using an ACK-E8).  So, I charged up the t3i battery and tried again.  Once again: "Connection lost" occurred at about 14 minutes.

I am at a total loss and may just be condemned to live with the problem. Regardless of which hardware I opt for, the result is the same. I experienced it even with Win 7   Why there is a slight time difference to the time-of-disconnect is puzzling. I've tried every variable I can and am left with the question: Is it still the EOS software? Why does the Canon website detect Win 10 when I supposedly have 11?  Why after all this time is there yet no Win 11 version?  I'm beginnng to wonder if there were one, would it make any difference???!!!

[jrhoffman75]

I'm not sure it will solve your problem, but if you manually select Windows 11 in the OS dropdown you will find EOS Utility. It is the same 3.15 version listed for W10.

[BlueHen73]

Hasn't worked for me so far...

[Wilbo]

So, you've been having a similar problem?

[Wilbo]

Thanks, John for your reply.  I see we're practically neighbors since I'm in Campton.  Yes, it's interesting to note that the same download apparently is supposed to work for Win 11.  The 3.15 version is the one I most recently downloaded. And, yet, I have the same problem with it whether I use the version for my old Windows 7 laptop or the 3.15 version for Windows10/11. Every time I start a photo it's as if a timer starts and I have an allotted time window.  Many times photo setup for lighting, use of diffusers and orientation of the micromineral specimen takes more time than for others.  And of course the larger the stack, the longer the process too.  I'm usualy dealing with anywhere from 70 to 100 shots.  If I have a simple straight-forward setup, a well-exposed crystal and a shallow stack I can make it before time runs out.

Bob W.

[Frsam]

Been using the most recent software. Uninstalled and reinstalled too. I'm still not certain this is Windows or camera problem! 

[Tronhard]

This is not to engage with the Windows compatibility issue per se: but as a functional work-around, can you not simply stack all the images to a large capacity card, then remove the card from the camera and insert it into a reader attached to your computer to copy the images using the computer's File Manager - that should work no matter what.  At least you should be able to work then!

[Wilbo]

Thanks, Tronhard.  Yes, it's something I should try to see if I'm affected by any kind of a time limit doing it this way. Since there would be no laptop involved till actual photo processing, there shouldn't be.  But, the whole idea of working from the small camera LCD versus from a laptop screen for photo setup is a real negative.  So, I agree with Blue Hen on this that it's just not terribly convenient.  I'm not sure how you get Canon's attention on this.   

[BlueHen73]

That, of course, works just fine. I can even connect a USB cord from camera to computer and transfer as though it were a drive. I'm just annoyed/disappointed/inconvenienced that the transfer utility doesn't work. I'm considering another new body, but I would like the software to be up-to-date. I've been using Canon since 1974, when I switched over from Nikon, and this is one of the most annoying issues with whick I've been forced to deal.