SOLVED! Fighting XP: Recognizing unknown device

[hickoryFUBAR]

I'm running the Sony DCR-TRV103. I've seen a few users with similar generation (even the same model) camcorders with their PC's. XP Home refuses to recognize what the device is (listed "unknown") when the camcorder is plugged in via 1394. How do others manage to use older 1394 camcorders directly with their PC's? Is the DV capture card mandatory in this scenerio, or is it possible to go through the 1394 on my motherboard?

Any guidance is genuinely appreciated. Thanks!

[hech54]

I just went through that same BULLshiite with all of my Canon stuff and XP Pro. I'm guessing there needs to be a capture program linked to that input in some way....for lack of better words or XP knowledge. It took me two days to realize that I had all of the drivers....I just had no (in my case) Twain software on my computer....Twain?.....I didn't think XP used Twain?
Anyway....make sure you have capture software that CAN capture from 1394....sounds dumb....but that was my problem last week.
Check the Sony site too....I raided the Canon site enough last week.

[hickoryFUBAR]

Trust me, scoured the Sony site and nada. The problem with the software I have is that I choose "capture" options, windows prompts that I have no hardware connected! If only there were a true DV input for the computer - it seems like everything wants to know everything about everything instead of just accepting the freakin' video.

[dcsos]

Your drivers are included in XP Pro..the camera mechanism must be recognized a as MICROSOFT DV in the DEVICE MAANGER please expand out IMAGING DEVICES and see if a cam corder is listed when its on and plugged in..
When you hot plug your DVD camcorder it should bring up a window that says new hardware found..

or if it is installed in device manager already, make sure its using the MICROSOFT DIRECT SHOW DRIVER..because with dv gear XP will often in my experice put in the wrong kind of DVD DEVICE and think its finished and this could be the problem

TWAIN is only used for scanners and still image capture..
TWAIN trivia---stands for (Toolkit Without An Important Name)

[hech54]

Did you try the Device Manager route? Canon recommended either:
Connect the device and watch the Device Manager....when the device shows up with a question mark....highlight the device and either delete it and try a restart OR give the Wizard a shot at it.
My problem was I didn't know where to point the Wizard...and what exactly was the Wizard looking for.
From what I understand XP is not supposed to need a Twain item(?)....however I needed that to get XP to recognize my two Canon cameras and my Canon scanner.
Actually one camera it recognized right away....then I needed the Twain driver(?) for it to recognize the other two items. Then as soon as I plugged the remaining two items in via USB....boom boom there they were.
Up until recently...my XP accepted everything right away....now it's getting weird in it's old age.

[dcsos]

and what exactly was the Wizard looking for

display all of the drives for this device, not just recommended ones.. then from the drivers that now show up..choose the other one!!!!

[proxyx99]

Disable all other imaging devices like USB webcamera or so. U may reinstall 1394 port to make sure. Keep in mind, to have it recognised your Sony has to be in send mode (actualy streaming) otherwise 1394 will assume it's dead and as such will not recognise it. Most often conflicts:
other imaging devices (temporarily eliminate) and USB.

[hech54]

OK....I'm out....the pro's have taken over...

[hickoryFUBAR]

Don't have other imaging devices, and I am confident that my 1394 port is working properly. Camcorder is in correct state - flashes "DV" upon connection, and I've made sure camera is playing. Device is listed in Device Manager, but is listed as "unknown," with the classic !. Can't seem to get the device recognized. How would I go about manually installing the drivers included in XP Home?

[dcsos]

How would I go about manually installing the drivers included in XP Home?

go to device manage expand out that UNKNOWN DEVICE
hit PROPERTIES...REINSTALL DRIVER BUTTON

chose let windows search... search will say found the best driver for this device (NONE!)...so then say display all drivers, not just the one it thought was appropriate..

then choose the MICROSOFT DV IMAGING DEVICE and if you're in 2000
no XP you may need your Microsoft WIN 2K disc again (NOT XP HOME..the driver is on the hard drive in this case)

[hickoryFUBAR]

One more update. Contacted Sony, and in summary:
I need to have - the correct hardware connection port, image capture card, and software that accepts the available camcorder connections. The device which requires the driver is the (IEEE 1394) capture device, not the camcorder.

I know I have 1394 connection, software from DV capture, but am not clear what they refer to by "image capture card." I was thinking 1394 is connection as well as capture.

Also, am still awaiting response/assistance from from mobo manufacturer.

I believe my problem lies in configuring my 1394 drivers to accept DV in, without worrying about what my device is.

[spiderman2k1]

Sony software is some times crap. I had two DRU DVD burner's and one time there software messed up my PC and also messed up my friend's PC that bought the same DVD burner DRU. Sony Autoload software some time's can make problem's install the software from the folder's. Never Autoload a Sony software CD. I just do not trust any sony software any more. Hope this help's

[hickoryFUBAR]

Followed the above directions. I tried the "Don't search, I will choose...", and selected "Show all Devices" but I don't get a list, I get the message "unable to find drivers for this device." All possible selections don't result in a list to select from. I HATE windows. At least I knew how to use 98...

[hickoryFUBAR]

Cam doesnt come with software - I'm trying Win Mov. maker, Sonic DVD, and AmCap.
_________________________________________

Search MS website, no DV drivers to download. If someone knows location of where this driver should be in HP home, it would be extremely helpful.

And hence my title was appropriate, "fighting xp." This must be one of those death-matches.

[hech54]

I'm laying odds that the camcorder would run like a champ on a Sony Vaio computer....
You'd THINK it would do the same with any computer with the proper connection and SOME sort of capture software.
Of course this IS the same company that sells NTSC video cameras that output a PAL signal through the firewire connection.
Let's hope your's isn't one of those once you get it working.

[hickoryFUBAR]

"If" is the operative words here... If I get it working.

Nah I acutally just built my own comp, cant afford the VAIO's, and everything went too damn smooth for windows. I knew there had to be something.

[dcsos]

"I feel your pain" -Clinton

Lets see, do this remove it (unknown from device manager) and reboot..maybe when you search this time, with it not prevoiusly installed it'll come up with the list?

One thing you need to know is there is no driver download that could possibly help you....

Like you say its WINDOWS

ALL THE DRIVERS you need are built into the OS..you need more experience installing stuff to find why windows broke like that ..sorry if this didn't help but I'm on dial up..and I'll check my working XP system (most of my machines are 2000) for you soon

[proxyx99]

As indicated be4 something gets in the way your firewire sees the camera.
It uses a generic driver from the palette provided by Microsoft. There must be a residue from your other instalations that confuses Windows. Camara should be shown as "MS DV device" so in my opinion it doesn't require any specific driver beyond what's built into Windows. Use MS Movie Maker to check how your computer sees your camera. Check your camera manual. I think that most likely reason is your camera settings.
Remove 1394 and reboot to make sure it operates properly. Check Sony support and Google newsgroups. You must be missing or overlooking something. If you ever had any other imaging device reinstall it and then do a full uninstall of its drivers (you may have to manually delete files).
Remember camera has to be playing video content to be seen by 1394.
Basically there is nothing to it , process is fully automated and something gets in the way. 2 things are most likely: your imaging driver messed up by another device (that was in my case - USB web camera did that) or your Sony setup. Nothing more. Once I removed all files that belonged to my webcam it worked like a charm. Subequent installation of webcam did not change a thing. 1394 kept working. Never had this problem again.

[dcsos]

Basically there is nothing to it , process is fully automated

Its not that there's nothing to it!

Its that there's nothing you can do about it!

Windows XP resists the do-it-youselfer and arouses anger when it behaves so poorly on its own

Try this..It worked for me whan nothing else would.. I took out the 1394 card.
Reboot several times..
Then put it in a different PCI slot

finally the automated behemouth known as XP PRO didn't silently load the same sh*tty driver it had "found" preventing me from guiding it to the OTHER DRIVER --the correct one..
After so much hair pulling..I finally got the sceen I wanted..It had automatically relocated its own driver correctly..
Bravo XP..plug and pray

[hickoryFUBAR]

Thanks for all your help guys, I guess we've taken it as far as we can here. I'll keep plugging away at it... who knows, maybe 2004 will be a lucky year...

[hickoryFUBAR]

WWWAAAHHHHOOO. Finally, thank god.

I solved my hardware problems in the BIOS. In some deep menu crevice somewhere, I have enabled PnP(Plug and Play) support. The option pretty much asked if my OS was PnP compatable. Since it is, and "no" was selected, problem fixed. Reboot, Xp starts, finds necessary drivers! Camera is now recognized as a Sony camcorder.

That's what you get when you build your own computer. Wow. WHO'S THE MAN NOW, BIOS?!?!?!?!? Little punk.