When I first got my new computer, I would insert my camera's card into a slot and a window would pop up asking me what I wanted to do with these pictures.

Now, nothing happens when I insert the card. I can certainly go into My computer and find the pics and move them where I want to, but it sure was nice when it was a bit more automatic.

Anybody know how I can restore whatever Windows setting I have inadvertently turned off?

 

I'm not sure it's related, but are you using the same memory card you have always used?

Also, how are you connecting your card to your computer (a stand alone card reader)?

 

The exact thing happened with my old camera (Fuji Finepix 2650), which connected via a USB cable. I never figured out why, or how to reset it.

 

In WinXP, in My Computer, select the drive letter of the card. Right click and pick properties. In Autoplay tap, select pictures in media type and select the action you want to take (open in Explorer, edit with (editor), etc. Sometimes you have to select 'take no action' and close the tabs then reopen it all back up and select what you want before it actually takes).

 

(EDIT): Thanks Greatbear for a safe and easy fix. I never thought to look for an easily-accessible means to alter the affected setting. Instead, I started about it the hard way typed below! I've been working with computers too long, and always reach for the BFH first. Maybe I need a different job.

I think I know what happened to your PC, but I have not yet isolated the way to fix it.

In Windows XP, any time a removable volume is mounted, by default, the OS scans the volume for certain file types (extensions registered as photo, video, or audio files are among these.) Removable volumes include optical discs, FireWire and USB portable hard drives, and most flash memory cards and/or their readers (CF, MMC, SD, XD, Memory Stick, etc.) Most digital cameras that can be connected to a PC are also handled by Windows as removable volumes, so the following may apply to these, as well:

Once the scan of a newly-mounted volume is complete, if any of the qualifying file types are found on it, a pop-up dialog box containing a menu of typical actions to perform on the files will open. The options offered by the menu range from moving or copying the files to another location, to opening the files with one of the programs registered to handle that file type, to "Take No Action". At the lower corner of this menu is a check box labeled "Always perform the selected action."

If this is inadvertently checked, it will supress the menu from popping up again for the class of files in question (in this case, photo files, most likely with the .JPG extension.) If "Take No Action" and "Always perform the selected action" are selected together, the result is simple supression of the menu in the future.

I suspect that this selection is saved to the Windows registry as a couple of value entries somewhere in one of three locations:
HKey_Current_User
HKey_Users\.DEFAULT
HKey_Local_Macine\Software\Microsoft

Unfortunately, I have not yet located exactly where. If I can find it, I'll post the loaction of the affected keys/values. Chances are that you will need to manually edit the registry to re-enable the dialog box.

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks greatbear! However, I followed your instructions, repeated it several times, and my computer still refuses to scan the card for files.

I will just have to do it the old fashioned way. . . . sigh. .. .

indygomini, thanks as well, and if I ever need that BFH, I will call on you

My camera saves pics inside a folder that is inside of another folder. Could it be that the computer is not looking deep enough to find the pics? NO, because I just put a pic from my computer onto the card without putting it in any folder. . . .

Oh well, thanks a bunch for trying, fellas. . .

 

uh-oh. I'll look again for the registry entry locations when I get a chance. Dunno if I'll find them, but I'll give it a shot...