Can you upgrade the R7 Camera using a USB cable?

[mmills79]

Hi,

I am using UHS-II cards in my R7. I don't have a UHS-II card reader. So I use the USB cable to upload my pictures from the camera to my Windows PC. That works well.

However, I can't seem to be able to use the USB to C cable to download the newest firmware version to the root of a reformatted SD (UHS-II) card. I can clearly see the root directory of the card on my PC using the USB cable (when the card is mounted in the camera slot 1). Why shouldn't you be able to use a USB cable to download the firmware to the SD card when the card is in the camera and you have set up a connection to the PC?

[mmills79]

Hi,

Just trying to understand this...
I agree it doesn't seem possible to use file manager to write files from a PC to the SD card in the R7.
I tried another experiment, I tried to copy a JPEG from my PC to the image directory on the R7 and that did not work either.
We know the camera can write to the mounted SD card when you take a picture so, the media is write enabled. We also know that the EOS utility can write to a mounted SD card in the camera. I successfully write to my SD card in my phone all the time from a PC over a USB cable.
Do you know why you can't write to the SD card mounted in the Camera from a PC using USB connection? What is the constraint or concern in doing so and why would that capability be disabled? Again, just for my education at this point but it could still be a bug. 

[Waddizzle]

It is not a bug.  The card is write protected to external devices when it inside of the camera.  This is done for security reasons.  This is not a bug.

[normadel]

Is this a universal issue?  Some time ago I tried to move/copy a file from my computer to one of my EOS cameras via USB cable. I think it was a firmware update file. It would not work.

Is this perhaps something Canon does not allow?

[Waddizzle]

---

@normadel wrote:

Is this a universal issue?  Some time ago I tried to move/copy a file from my computer to one of my EOS cameras via USB cable. I think it was a firmware update file. It would not work.

Is this perhaps something Canon does not allow?

---

Yes, writing to the memory card in the camera is not allowed.  Always has been.

[mmills79]

Ok...

I guess the EOS utility has a work around for that security protection?
When I talked to Canon tech support they told me the utility uses the USB connection to install the update.
It may seem like I am splitting hairs here but when I travel, I skinny down what I carry and I just wanted to go simple and use a USB cable for any kind of transfer when necessary. Is there a way to disable this security protection? I don't need this protection personally.

[Waddizzle]

Use a dedicated UHS-I SD card for firmware updates.  

[jrhoffman75]

If I was traveling I wouldn’t do a firmware update. Wouldn’t want a problem to brick camera. If you are determined to do it, a small SD reader is not much to carry. Less volume than a cable. 

[Stephen]

Have you tried a firmware update using the Camera Connect app? 

[mmills79]

Hi,
I am now aware of several methods (other than a direct USB connection) to upgrade the camera firmware so upgrading firmware in and of itself is not what I am trying to understand right now.

A response earlier has said you cannot write to a Canon Camera mounted SD card (from a PC directly over USB using windows file manager) for security reasons. I guess this is a Canon philosophy. We know however, the EOS utility can write to the camera over USB so I guess I am just wondering why was security a concern with directly writing to an SD card directly over USB? I just prefer to connect the camera simply & directly to my PC over USB (as I do with the card in my phone to transfer music) and use windows utilities for all file transfers from and to the camera. All you should need is a USB cable.

Is there a way to turn off this security protection? If not, so be it but, I'm thinking this could certainly be a user selectable menu function. I personally don't need this protection.

[Stephen · Accepted solution]

It's a built-in function of the linux operating system. Only the admin/superuser can access the root  directory of the card while it's mounted (accessible by the camera). That's why the camera has a handful of folders (DCIM, etc.). A normal user (you) will never be able to access the root of the card, or the camera's base OS - to prevent damaging the firmware. 

TL;DR: No, this can't be overridden. You do need this protection, or you can potentially damage your camera and break your camera.