Digital cameras 101

[bobby]

Hey everyone!

I have a new Sony DSC-P73 that causes the dreaded 'Blue Screen Of Death' every time I plug it in.

I've tried it with the default XP driver, the one on the disk that it said not to use with XP, and three others from the Net.

I've tried two different USB cables, three different USB ports.

I've run Windows update, a repair, etc.

Every time I plug it in I see the "New Hardware Detected" notice from my taskbar.  But about 3-5 seconds after that i get BSOD, the screen goes blue with a "Page Fault in Non-Paging Area" followd by a physical memory dump.

The last driver I got from the Net was the best.  I actually saw the camera listed as a removable drive, but before I could access it my system crashed again.

I've run program updates and scans with Norton AV, System Works, two spybot/adware detectors, a registry scan, an online virus scan, and a few others that weren't really relevant, but I was grasping at straws...

Anybody have any ideas..?  Run across this before?

Love this site, Gail.  

[ShutterbugGail]

Hi there, and welcome! So glad you "love" the site.

Boy, what you're facing is a tough one, and probably something only a Sony or Microsoft tech support person can solve. I checked Sony's and Microsoft's Knowledge Bases and came up with nothing.

I've had similar problems in the past which I was able to eventually fix, but they may not work in your case. Everyone's computer is configured differently, and conflicts you face may be unique.

Here's some of the things I tried, or was told by tech support:

- try an older version of the driver

- make sure the latest version of DirectX installed

- get the right CAB files from the Windows directory

- remove some of the usb driver devices (reinstall later) as the order they are installed could conflict (check the Device Manager for conflicts - try deleting and refreshing before a new install).

- reorder the numbers of the Mass Storage Devices installed on your computer. If I recall correctly, each one is assigned a unique number. They can be change though I don't recall how I was told to do this, but you sound pretty tech saavy and may know.

In the meantime, you may wish to consider purchasing a Memory Card reader that does not require a driver (usually works with Windows ME and above).

Sorry I can't be of more help. Hopefully someone else will come along and offer a solution. But it seems like you've tried almost everything, so I'd stongly suggest calling tech support. When you get it fixed, let us know what worked.

[Mike54]

Hi Bobby,

I can't really add anything to what ShutterbugGail has indicated except that the card reader is a real asset. Not only do you not need any drivers but you can transfer the images to you HD without draining the battery on your camera. At least with my little Fuji transferring a full 128 card from the camera usually meant recharging batteries afterwards.

[bobby]

Thanks for trying guys... I'm still on the hunt.  I'll post back if and when I'm able to get it working...