Cannot transfer my pictures to my PC

[Topaz-2057]

I have a EOS Rebel XTI that's about 10 years old.  Today I tried to transfer my photos to my PC but nothing worked.  I was able to pull up the EOS Utility but nothing was highlighted so that didn't work.  I also tried pushing the print/share button that normally turns blue but nothing happened.  I uninstalled and reinstalled the software but that didn't fix it either. I have a Windows 8 operating system and in checking around some of the forums, I couldn't find anything that would help me.

Help?

[Richard]

Hi Topaz-2057,

Thanks for posting.

The EOS Rebel XTi is not compatible with Windows 8, or later, so it won't be able to communicate with Canon Software on your computer.

To remedy this, I recommend use of a Compact Flash card reader to download your images. A card reader is an inexpensive device that allows you to download your images and video without connecting your camera to your computer. You remove the memory card from your camera and plug it into the card reader. The card reader plugs into a USB port, allowing your computer to access the pictures and videos on your memory card.

With the memory card in the card reader which, in turn, is connected to your computer, you may open the File Explorer to access the images on your memory card.

[Mr_Fusion]

A suggestion with no guarantee.

With the camera connected and turned on, open Windows Explorer. (If you know then great, if not then follow the directions) Click on the File Folder icon. Look for any extra connections, probably named "EOS Camera",  possibly "Camera", or "USB Device". You will have to dig down through a couple of folders to get to your photos.  From force of habit, I have always used Windows Explorer to open my Canon cameras.  You would have to use Windows Explorer to view the card even if you use a card reader. 

If you still have issues then my next suggestion is to replace the USB cable. They do go bad and I've replaced several since getting my first Rebel XT. (They also fit Nintendo Game controllers so our rug rat likes to steal mine.) You can borrow one from a friend to double check if it is the USB cable. When you have a sudden issue then this is a good place to start trouble shooting. USB cables are cheaper than card readers. 

While you can do it, I do not recommend removing the CF card unless necessary. If you bend one pin your camera is done. My recommendation is to insert your card and leave it. Use the USB cable to d/l. Most sudden memory card issues are caused by repeatedly removing and replacing the cards. That doesn't imply that removing cards will break them, but physical damage is more likely. 

I hope this helps. Good luck.

[RobertTheFat]

---

@Mr_Fusion wrote:

A suggestion with no guarantee.

With the camera connected and turned on, open Windows Explorer. (If you know then great, if not then follow the directions) Click on the File Folder icon. Look for any extra connections, probably named "EOS Camera",  possibly "Camera", or "USB Device". You will have to dig down through a couple of folders to get to your photos.  From force of habit, I have always used Windows Explorer to open my Canon cameras.  You would have to use Windows Explorer to view the card even if you use a card reader. 

If you still have issues then my next suggestion is to replace the USB cable. They do go bad and I've replaced several since getting my first Rebel XT. (They also fit Nintendo Game controllers so our rug rat likes to steal mine.) You can borrow one from a friend to double check if it is the USB cable. When you have a sudden issue then this is a good place to start trouble shooting. USB cables are cheaper than card readers. 

While you can do it, I do not recommend removing the CF card unless necessary. If you bend one pin your camera is done. My recommendation is to insert your card and leave it. Use the USB cable to d/l. Most sudden memory card issues are caused by repeatedly removing and replacing the cards. That doesn't imply that removing cards will break them, but physical damage is more likely. 

I hope this helps. Good luck.

---

To the operating system (to Windows, anyway), a card reader just looks like another disk drive. Either EOS Utility or Digital Photo Professional should have no trouble reading it.

Most camera damage caused by a CF card occurs because the card was inserted improperly (e.g., upside down or backwards). In the absence of such insertion errors, pin damage is very unlikely. And while I would certainly endorse the idea of not having pin damage occur, it wouldn't necessarily mean that your camera was "done". I once got a friend's 20D back in working order after a card insertion error left it with three or four bent pins.

Card readers, even good ones, aren't very expensive, and they have other advantages besides allowing you to read cards produced by obsolete cameras. Every user should have one.

[Mr_Fusion]

---

@RobertTheFat wrote:

---

@Mr_Fusion wrote:

A suggestion with no guarantee.

With the camera connected and turned on, open Windows Explorer. (If you know then great, if not then follow the directions) Click on the File Folder icon. Look for any extra connections, probably named "EOS Camera",  possibly "Camera", or "USB Device". You will have to dig down through a couple of folders to get to your photos.  From force of habit, I have always used Windows Explorer to open my Canon cameras.  You would have to use Windows Explorer to view the card even if you use a card reader. 

If you still have issues then my next suggestion is to replace the USB cable. They do go bad and I've replaced several since getting my first Rebel XT. (They also fit Nintendo Game controllers so our rug rat likes to steal mine.) You can borrow one from a friend to double check if it is the USB cable. When you have a sudden issue then this is a good place to start trouble shooting. USB cables are cheaper than card readers. 

While you can do it, I do not recommend removing the CF card unless necessary. If you bend one pin your camera is done. My recommendation is to insert your card and leave it. Use the USB cable to d/l. Most sudden memory card issues are caused by repeatedly removing and replacing the cards. That doesn't imply that removing cards will break them, but physical damage is more likely. 

I hope this helps. Good luck.

---

To the operating system (to Windows, anyway), a card reader just looks like another disk drive. Either EOS Utility or Digital Photo Professional should have no trouble reading it.

Most camera damage caused by a CF card occurs because the card was inserted improperly (e.g., upside down or backwards). In the absence of such insertion errors, pin damage is very unlikely. And while I would certainly endorse the idea of not having pin damage occur, it wouldn't necessarily mean that your camera was "done". I once got a friend's 20D back in working order after a card insertion error left it with three or four bent pins.

Card readers, even good ones, aren't very expensive, and they have other advantages besides allowing you to read cards produced by obsolete cameras. Every user should have one.

---

Never say never. Fixing a bent CF pin is extremely difficult. The opening is very small and the pins are deep. You can either reach inside or dismantle the body to reach the pins. Neither is a fun idea. Add on that a bent pin is never whole after being straightened. (The metal will always be fatigued at that point plus the base is increasingly weakened.)

CF cards will only insert one way. The card must be aligned before the pins enter the contact holes. Repeat insertion though can weaken the pin base. That can allow the pin to lean which would bend when it doesn't align with the contact hole. Any debris can do the same thing.  Will repeat insertions ultimately bend a pin? Hopefully not. But it is far more probable than to cause a failed card read than the card memory failing.

Using a card reader is always an option and I would never say don't ever ever use one. In the long run though, why use one knowing that there is any possibility of causing damage. Leaving a card in place reduces the chances of induced failure. Leaving a lens on a body reduces the chances of dust on the sensor. Working smarter does not mean working harder. 

[RobertTheFat]

---

@Mr_Fusion wrote:

---

@RobertTheFat wrote:

---

@Mr_Fusion wrote:

A suggestion with no guarantee.

With the camera connected and turned on, open Windows Explorer. (If you know then great, if not then follow the directions) Click on the File Folder icon. Look for any extra connections, probably named "EOS Camera",  possibly "Camera", or "USB Device". You will have to dig down through a couple of folders to get to your photos.  From force of habit, I have always used Windows Explorer to open my Canon cameras.  You would have to use Windows Explorer to view the card even if you use a card reader. 

If you still have issues then my next suggestion is to replace the USB cable. They do go bad and I've replaced several since getting my first Rebel XT. (They also fit Nintendo Game controllers so our rug rat likes to steal mine.) You can borrow one from a friend to double check if it is the USB cable. When you have a sudden issue then this is a good place to start trouble shooting. USB cables are cheaper than card readers. 

While you can do it, I do not recommend removing the CF card unless necessary. If you bend one pin your camera is done. My recommendation is to insert your card and leave it. Use the USB cable to d/l. Most sudden memory card issues are caused by repeatedly removing and replacing the cards. That doesn't imply that removing cards will break them, but physical damage is more likely. 

I hope this helps. Good luck.

---

To the operating system (to Windows, anyway), a card reader just looks like another disk drive. Either EOS Utility or Digital Photo Professional should have no trouble reading it.

Most camera damage caused by a CF card occurs because the card was inserted improperly (e.g., upside down or backwards). In the absence of such insertion errors, pin damage is very unlikely. And while I would certainly endorse the idea of not having pin damage occur, it wouldn't necessarily mean that your camera was "done". I once got a friend's 20D back in working order after a card insertion error left it with three or four bent pins.

Card readers, even good ones, aren't very expensive, and they have other advantages besides allowing you to read cards produced by obsolete cameras. Every user should have one.

---

Never say never. Fixing a bent CF pin is extremely difficult. The opening is very small and the pins are deep. You can either reach inside or dismantle the body to reach the pins. Neither is a fun idea. Add on that a bent pin is never whole after being straightened. (The metal will always be fatigued at that point plus the base is increasingly weakened.)

CF cards will only insert one way. The card must be aligned before the pins enter the contact holes. Repeat insertion though can weaken the pin base. That can allow the pin to lean which would bend when it doesn't align with the contact hole. Any debris can do the same thing.  Will repeat insertions ultimately bend a pin? Hopefully not. But it is far more probable than to cause a failed card read than the card memory failing.

Using a card reader is always an option and I would never say don't ever ever use one. In the long run though, why use one knowing that there is any possibility of causing damage. Leaving a card in place reduces the chances of induced failure. Leaving a lens on a body reduces the chances of dust on the sensor. Working smarter does not mean working harder. 

---

The 20D that I repaired had had a CF card forced in upside down or backwards, which bent the pins. (I was told it was upside down. But since the card had been removed before I saw the camera, I can't vouch for that.) The camera was brand new when the insertion error occurred, so the bent pens were not a consequence of metal fatigue or weakening of the pin base.

Leaving a card in place increases the probability that its contents will be overwritten or corrupted. Removing it makes it easier to preserve its contents until the images have been backed up to multiple media. Accidental damage to a CF card slot is a rare event. Accidental deletion of important images from an overcrowded card is much more common.

Downloading pictures directly from the camera requires power from the camera's battery. It also renders the camera unusable until the download has been completed. A card reader has neither of those drawbacks.

Leaving a lens on a body does indeed reduce the chances of getting dust on the sensor. That's one of the reasons why event photographers and photojournalists, who might otherwise have to change lenses frequently, often use two cameras. But that has nothing whatever to do with the advisability of using a card reader.