Silly question first, sorry. Was the camera switched on while you tried to connect?

Connect the camera and switch it on
click Start
click My computer
Now you should see your C: drive listed and hopefully the USB port with the camera attached. Right click on that and it should show the contents of the camera.

If this fails do you have any other USB gadgets like a thumb drive to try so you can determine whether the fault is with the computer itself or either the cable or camera.

You can also try this
click Start
click Control panel
click System
click Hardware
click Device manager
Now look down the left side for the USB devices, they will be nearer the bottom. Are there any yellow question marks or exclamation marks marks on them at all? Is double click on that one and read what it says

Owbist...thanks for the suggestions.

As to your first paragraph and suggestion, yes I did have the camera on and the cable securely connected. (Previously when I turned the camera on it auto makes connection to photoshop and downloads the photo, I don't need to do anything) Anyway, I followed your directions in this paragraph and had no luck. The USB port was not listed in that part of the C: drive.

As to paragraph two instructions.......found the ports listed in device manager but there were no yellow question marks or exclamation marks on anything.

To explain further, when I connect the camera to the computer via the front USB port, it reads like it normally does : "CONNECTED TO COMPUTER" on the camera view screen. It also prompts the connection to Photoshop program and actually opens the download box and show that the files are being downloaded but then stops and the dreaded yellow triangle appears and message says "FAILED TO OBTAIN THUMBNAILS FROM THE DEVICE. THE DEVICE IS NOT CONNECTED OR IS BUSY"

Sorry to run on so long but trying to be clear about what I've got going here.

have you tried using your usb ports for something other than that one application to see if it is just that causing the problem, like try a flash drive in one.
One problem could be if the person that used your pc did not properly safely remove the usb drive, it is very important to always use the remove safely icon in the systray when removing devices from the usb ports or it can damage the, flash drive, the files, the usb port and the pc.

I would try using your usb ports with various other items to see if they work normally, and of course use the safely remove feature.

Ravencajun....I think you are on to something...When you mentioned it I thought about it and could not remember my daughter using the safety disconnect feature. Soooo I clicked on it and sure enough it said there is a problem and now the device manager list does show the yellow triangle....there are instruction to try and repair/fix this so I am going to try and figure it out. I will get back with the results.......thanks so much.

I am back to see if I can get any further help. I am 99% sure that my problem is the USB ports that are damaged because the "safely remove hardware" was not used when a connection was plugged into it. I have done everything that I could find instruction for in the troubleshooting and other guides, but nothing has worked.

I called HP tech support, it will cost $59.95 for a three day support on this one problem. [or $149.95 for any problem for six months.] But she did assure me that they could help me fix the problem........but I wanted to check here first. Now a days, $49.95 is a lot of money to me. So that's where I stand. Hope all this is not too confusing...

thanks

I see you started another thread, that will confuse people so I will post a link to this thread on there to refer to.

Ok these are the things I would try first before paying anything.
1. try a system restore to a date and time when it was working properly.
System Restore

2. If that did not fix it then go into the device manager where you saw the yellow triangle and click on that item choose to have it removed, then reboot the pc it should see and find the new hardware and reinstall it and possibly fix it.

3. if you have or can borrow a self powered usb hub try using it on the pc and see if this helps.

4. I would instead of trying to do more with those usb ports, go buy another usb card and install it in the pc, super easy to do and they are cheap, then use the new usb ports.

let me know any results.

oh one more thing to try since it could possibly be a power related issue, power down your pc, unplug it from the power socket, on the back of the pc there is a toggle switch to power off, use that toggle and switch to off, leave it for 10 mins, then in this order, plug into wall socket, turn toggle on back of pc to On, then power up your pc.

O K ravencajun, I'm off to try the fixes you have listed...One I know won't work is system restore. I already considered that one but my restore days only go back two days and it has been longer than that, the problem occured on Sunday.

On #2 fix suggestion, when you say .......

"where you saw the yellow triangle and click on that item choose to have it REMOVED, then reboot the pc......."

Did you mean to uninstall it? I have been in that section but didn't want to mess with it much but can do the reinstall/remove if we are talking about the same thing.

yep that is what I meant, I could not recall what terminology it uses, I am on my linux machine and could not easily go look, but yes the one you see that has the conflict you can choose the uninstall and then when you reboot the pc will find it and say new hardware found and re-install it and sometimes (sometimes!!) that works.

ok now why is that you only have 2 days of restore points that is not good, did you cut down the amount of space for system restore? if so I would say you cut it down too much you should have a few weeks worth of restore points ideally.
You did click the back button on the little calendar to see what was there for November?

Ravencajun, I was, of course wrong about the two day backup on the restore days. I assumed just by looking at the calender that since the 30th wasn't highlited that no other days in Nov. would be either. Anyway I did a system restore and now the camera will not make any connection at all, where as earlier it would make the connection automatically and begin to download then not finish. Now, as I said, it won't make any kind of connection. And to add insult to injury, the Photoshop program freezes when I click on the tab to "get photos from camera".

The uninstall and reboot try did not work.

Think I should just back out of the system restore and reinstate today? Also it looks like it's time to do the purchase of new usb ports. I'm in a rural area, so I'm not sure how available these cards would be or if this will be something I need to order online. Any other suggestions?
Thanks very much

If you are unhappy with the the restore point yes go back to where you were that's the beauty of system restore, there also should be usb ports on the very back of the computer.

sure all system restores are reversible if it did not help.

have you tried anything else in those usb ports other than the camera to see if any thing at all works in them?

you can order the appropriate card online if you choose to, places like newegg have them for good prices. Most all electronics stores should have them, I got one at circuit city.

also trying a powered usb hub might work I have seen reports of it.
Have you tried the rest of the options and doing the power down?

zep516, there's only 2 usb ports on the back of tower and they are both in use, one is the external hard drive, and lord knows where the other one is hooked into. It's a jungle back there so I don't know.

ravencajun, yes, other devices seem to work ok when plugged in these ports. And yes I tried the power down option and all the other options that were suggested by you and owbist.

I am puzzled by the fact that when i connect the camera to the port that in the view window is says that it is connected to the computer.

Anyway, back to the purchase of the usb ports, I'll see if I can find it locally, if not I'll order online. Next question........will it be hard to install? I have done some of that kind of things but wondered how complicated it may be.

Thank all of you for your assistance. I'll let you know the outcome. This computer is 6 years old, so maybe a new one is in order.. which will lead me to another question if I do that, oh dear, heaven help me.

I'm not trying to interrupt the troubleshooting you are doing with RC and Zep, but if the USB ports are working with other devices, they are fine and I doubt a USB hub will make any difference. Did anyone possibly install any Kodak software to use with their camera? If so, try uninstalling that and rebooting afterward. I may have missed this, but did you uninstall and reinstall Photoshop?

Pam

Pam is right, nothing wrong with those usb ports.

pam and zep516, good point, I'm sure not thinking very clearly...right now I am very sick sck sick with a cold and I'm here at the computer instead of being in bed. I am being very careful tho, I'm not doing any changes without careful consideration.

I could not find anything in the "add/remove" list of programs that was obvious. Some things I'm not sure about so I leave them alone. I don't know how to open them to see if it's something I have added or something unfamiliar to me, added by me grandson.

As for the Photoshop program, I downloaded it from the web site when I purchased it.......I don't have a disc to reinstall it.

If you can tell me how to open the programs that are listed in the "add/remove" list, there are a couple I could check.

I would google the name of the program to find out what it is.

I hope you feel better soon. Open the programs the same as any program...through Start and All Programs (look for a Kodak folder...should be near the end of the programs listed if it wsa recently installed). Could you just ask your grandson if he installed anything? That would be simplest.

Feel better.

O K , going through the programs now to see is anything stands out, so far haven't seen much but I did deleat/uninstall a few of them. Nothing much to do with hp camera or Photoshop. Grandson says he "doesn"t think" he did. Thanks for the suggestions.

Just wondering> Have you run any tests to check for a virus or other nasties.

tumbleweed, I have done the virus check, I have:

Super anti Spyblaster
AVG 8.0 free addition
Spyblaster
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware free addition

plus:
CCleaner

Found no problems and I do keep all those updated.

I'm still not finding much in the way of rogue programs from the list that I think would interfere with Photoshop or hp camera.

ok good that was what I was really wanting to know if other things do work in the USB ports then as they said I suspect they are fine and your problems is not with them.

You know to have more usb ports available to you and in easy reach you can do what I have done, get a usb cable, plug it into one of your usb ports ( I use one on the back) then run the cable up to your desk and plug in a usb hub to it, that will give you several usb ports right on your desk, mine is not a powered hub but you can get self powered ones too, I use my usb hubs a lot and having it right on my desk is very handy. I have found them at big lots for $6 each and they are 2.0 hubs which is what you would want. Knowing you have good functioning usb ports doing it that way will avoid having to do an internal install, although since you asked I found it very easy to do the usb card install, just open the case, (I wear an anti static band) slide the card into the appropriate slot, make the connection, and tighten a couple of screws basically.

To get my pics off my camera my preferred method is to plug into that very usb hub on my desk my little usb card reader, plug the memory card from my camera in it and just save to my hard drive, much easier than installing yet more software. I never use the software that comes with cameras.

Here are some examples of usb 2.0 hubs
USB 0_.

UP DATE ON MY DELIMA

I am not sure how it has come about but during one of my many many tries, looking here and there, trying this and that, I decided to check the setting on the camera, and I changed the usb configuration setting from "digital camera" to "disk drive" and bless my wicked sole if it didn't work!! All of a sudden it started downloading pictures and everything worked just as it used to. I have no idea how the setting got changed or if it did, or if it was something to do with usb port. Any way I wanted to let you guys (and gals) know for future reference.

Good for you! I was thinking about you today and thought of one more thing to try came here to post and see you solved the problem. :-)

tumbleweed...thank you for checking back, very nice of you.
I am very relieved to be back to normal...I guess anyone who uses a computer can relate to that.

I found this in a search. I, too, am having problem with usb. My son got a new MP4 player and in an attempt to download a movie no usb ports will work. Lost usb mouse as well. Am now using mouse port. Tried all the above solutions to no avail. Still have power to them as everything lights up. Any help would be appreciated. Using Vista, btw. Thanks in advance.

You could try the link below, it covers a lot of options. Other than that you could buy a PCI USB card, they are not that expensive, Certainly cheaper than taking the computer to a repair shop.

Here is a link that might be useful: Try this link