By Mitz
The automatic scanner and camera wizard is a handy feature included with the Microsoft Windows Operating System. However sometimes when you plug your digital camera into your computer via USB, it will make the usual noise, saying its connected, but nothing happens. Oh no.. What do you do now? When you connect a plug and play digital camera into your computer to transfer photo’s it is usually set to automatically start the automatic scanner and camera wizard to extract the pictures. However sometimes people have installed other software that may have altered the auto play settings.
How do I know that my digital camera has connected to my computer?
Of course for the automatic scanner and camera wizard to work unless you have a camera connected to your computer. You will usually here a sound when the device is plugged into the USB port on your computer. You will also have to turn the power button on for the camera. A computer cannot recognize it unless the power is on the camera.
Another way to tell if you have connected the camera to the computer is to go to my computer and verify that there is a camera icon there. This applies to both Windows XP and Windows Vista.
- Go to My Computer which is either an icon on your desktop or in the start menu in the bottom left corner. You can also access your camera from the control panel.
- Here you will see your camera appear. (see below)
- If the digital camera icon is there then your camera is connected properly.
What do I do if the automatic scanner and camera wizard is not opening automatically?
If the automatic Scanner and Camera wizard does not open when you plug your camera into your computer you can still see the camera in my computer. Then you can start the automatic scanner and camera wizard yourself.
- Go to My Computer which is either an icon on your desktop or in the start menu in the bottom left corner. You can also access your camera from the control panel.
- Here you will see your camera appear. (see below)
- Double click on the digital camera icon.
- A box will appear showing what pictures are on your camera.
How to make the Automatic Scanner and camera wizard start automatically?
- Follow steps one to four from above.
- Under the heading Camera Tasks, choose to Show camera properties. (you can also choose to Get Pictures from Camera to start the Wizard manually)
Choose the Events Tab from the top of the dialog box. See screenshot below.
- Here you can select an event. I chose that when the camera is connected it will automatically start Windows XP’s inbuilt scanner and camera wizard.
- There is also other software to choose from if you have more than one compatible photo transfer program installed on your computer
After you have completed these tasks you can test your changes by turning your camera on again. Then see what it does…The automatic scanner and camera wizard should appear.
How to make the Scanner and Camera Wizard automatically start in Windows Vista?
In Windows Vista you can also set the automatic scanner and camera wizard to start automatically when you plug in your camera. See this article: Choose a program to start. It will show you how to choose a program to auto play when you plug your camera into your computer.
Notes on the Automatic Scanner and Camera Wizard:
- The automatic scanner and camera Wizard will only work if you have pictures on your digital camera. If there are no pictures it will say this and you will not have the option to go on. You can only cancel the process.
How to transfer photo’s from your digital camera to your computer.
Watch this video below:
I hate these Microsoft functions that only work in the trivial case. Sure, I can transfer all photos all the time when I plug in the camera. But what if I’ve already transferred hundreds of pictures, and I have hundreds MORE to transfer the next time? There’s on option for updating only new photos! And it’s completely impractical to go through several hundred photos with the scanner/camera wizard to “uncheck” them before transfer.
So what about this non-trivial case? Is there any way to use the archive bit? Any way to tell it to accept a default of “no” to the question “file already exists”, like a “no-all”??
I would prefer to be asked the question than to delete or overwrite the wrong photo.. They are too precious to have on automatic and presume anything. If you are unhappy with the automatic scanner and camera wizard you can install another program and transfer your photos through that.
Typical trivializing Microsoft fanboy reply. Would you prefer to be “asked the question” 350 times? Twice a week?
What’s so wrong with having a setting?
Why should I be forced to bend to the will of the computer instead of it working for me, just because I do more than the trivial case?
Why should I have to install some wino shareware that’s going to back-rev all my DLLs and break all my other programs?
It’s obsequious nonsense like this that perpetuates the CRAP from Microslop, and it’s why Apple has gone into the toilet with them now.
BTW, I already HAVE another program that will do this quite well, but I can’t use it, because the camera attaches as a peculiar type of device in the Explorer, and I can’t figure out how to access it through the file system. Do you know how to get a pathname to the camera device?
And I don’t think you get the point. It’s not a matter of being “asked the question.” It’s a matter of the time spent re-transferring 300, 500, 1000 pictures over and over again each time you want to update the PC with some new pictures from the camera. The Wizard will only transfer ALL the pictures. Most people keep pictures in their camera to view and show others. With the large SDHC card sizes available today, the number of these retained pictures can be many hundreds. A trivial transfer wizard that does not check to see if a picture has already been transferred is trivial and virtually useless to someone who actually uses their camera a lot. Or, insulting to one’s personal time to sit and wait for the same 300, 500, 1000 pictures to transfer each time they want to update new pictures.
If you don’t like Microsoft then why are you using it?
I have an issue with my scanner. I right-click the scanner in My Computer, choose Properties. Go to the Events tab and choose the event I want to associate with specific software but the software I want to use is not listed. How do I add the software that is installed on my PC with a specific Event if it is not listed? Any useful responses will be appreciated. Thanks.
Walt, it looks like the programs at the very least have to be registered with the Windows Imaging API. You can’t use any software with the scanner or camera. That was my criticism in the rant above when I was saying that it wasn’t giving access to the camera device as a filesystem.
If you have an actual scanner, I bet the software has to be registered with the Imaging API for such events, not just having a Twain driver or something for scanning.
The only software that shows up on my system is the software that came with the camera.
Mitz says:
July 9, 2010 at 11:00 pm
If you don’t like Microsoft then why are you using it?
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WTF?! Now you’re just taking jabs at me. I guess I deserve it for the namecalling. But you _are_ spending an awful lot of time gladhanding a trivial and useless wizard without realizing the crippling handicaps or trying to find a way around them.
Hey John….
All I did was write a how to post about the automatic camera and scanner wizard…then you said you didn’t like it and I gave a simple opinion.
This is for people that want to know how to use it. We understand you do not like this wizard, however it was very useful when there is nothing else around. Now obviously you have a choice, so take it.
I am sorry to upset John, but my website is not here to create anger and I will happily listen and accept your opinion if you can also do the same for me.
I started following the steps to open the scanner and camera wizard, but it doesn’t say “camera tasks” where it’s supposed to, it just says “picture tasks.” What’s wrong?
It is most likely a newer version…Like Windows Vista or Windows Seven.
Hey Mitz,
My Windows Vista doesn’t have the Microsoft Scanner & Camera Wizard.Can I download it free somewhere?
Thanks.
hi there Ray…You cannot download it…however you can download the Windows live photo gallery which does all that the old XP camera and scanner did and more.. http://explore.live.com/windows-live-photo-gallery
I have a question……
when you plug in a camera and hit scan pictures from camera….it then proceeds to read all the pictures on the camera. then it comes up with a box to select which pics to copy to computer.
Heres the big question……it scans every picture on the camera….DOES IT REMEMBER OR SAVE THESE PICTURES ANYWHERE ON THE COMPUTER???
I had clicked clear all and then selected the pics i wanted to upolad. I want to know if the computer somehow saves the other images somewhere??
PLEASE!!!
Hi tessa
It does not save the pictures on the computer unless you said to do so…So if you ticked certain photos then they will be saved in my pictures…But the ones you didn’t tick will be on the camera still, unless you ticked to delete the photos then they might be gone from the camera.