Computer stopped recognizing my DV camera (firewire) :(

[garybeck]

Seemingly all of the sudden, nothing happens when I plug my Canon miniDV camera to my computer. I have a firewire cord, everything's been working fine until now. I can't think of anything I did that could have caused it but who knows, maybe I installed or un-installed something.

The firewire port still recognizes other things, like my audio interface card I use for music recording. I used to have them in series - the sound card into the computer and the camera into the sound card, and it worked like a charm.

One thing I did, I removed the sound card and plugged in the camera directly to the computer, and it was somewhere around then, but not necessarily exactly then, that it stopped working. But now,I've gone back to the old setup with the sound card in between, and nothing happens at all when I plug in the DV camera.

When I open up WinDV it says there is no input device to capture video from. Same thing with Windows Movie Maker.

I replaced that firewire cord. Still nothing.

The instructions for the camera says that Windows 98 and beyond should have the driver already installed. Is it possible I somehow deleted a driver and I need to reinstall it?

What else could it be??? Maybe my camera is on the fritz? I hope not, I've only had this thing about a year.

HELLLLPPPP!!!????

[Bodyslide]

I had something like this happen last year, I bought a new firewire cable and everything began working again...Could be the Cable...

[garybeck]

I had something like this happen last year, I bought a new firewire cable and everything began working again...Could be the Cable...

thanks, already tried that

[edDV]

Which OS are you using? A Computer Profile would help.

Try plugging the camcorder into another computer to verify it and the cable are working.

Win98 and XP are very different in the way IEEE-1394 and DV transfer are handled. Win98 needs a specific driver from the application. XP applications use DirectShow. Win98se and Me had early versions of what became DirectShow.

The motherboard port itself needs the port driver installed. Check Device Manager for the IEEE-1394 OHCI controller. If your Audio card has a sepatate driver, you may have two IEEE-1394 port drivers.

[garybeck]

Which OS are you using? A Computer Profile would help.

Try plugging the camcorder into another computer to verify it and the cable are working.

Win98 and XP are very different in the way IEEE-1394 and DV transfer are handled. Win98 needs a specific driver from the application. XP applications use DirectShow. Win98se and Me had early versions of what became DirectShow.

The motherboard port itself needs the port driver installed. Check Device Manager for the IEEE-1394 OHCI controller.

thanks... my system is less than a year old, a Compaq Athlon 64 system with 512MB memory. winXP home

I checked the device manager and found no exclamation points or question marks around the IEE 1394 controller. It says:

This device is working properly.

If you are having problems with this device, click Troubleshoot to start the troubleshooter.

Driver date: 7/1/2001
version: 5.1.25.....

[edDV]

I checked the device manager and found no exclamation points or question marks around the IEE 1394 controller. It says:

This device is working properly.

If you are having problems with this device, click Troubleshoot to start the troubleshooter.

Driver date: 7/1/2001
version: 5.1.25.....

Did you say you were using a firewire port on an audio card? That driver may be stuck. You may need to uninstall the audio card. Then get it working with the motherboard ports, then reinstall the audio card.

Proprietary firewire ports on audio cards sometimes direct all traffic their way.

[12Quidkidinnit]

A few weeks ago, I accidentally plugged the computer end of a firewire cable (6 pin end) in upside down in the computer. I then plugged the other end into the camera and it wasn't detected. When I noticed my mistake, I plugged it in correctly but the camera still wasn't detected. I tried another identical camera and this was fine, so I was able to capture off this one.
I think I must have blown the firewire port on the camera. I haven't checked to see if the USB connection still works because this obviously isn't any good for DV capture.

Hopefully your problem will be easier to solve.

[garybeck]

I checked the device manager and found no exclamation points or question marks around the IEE 1394 controller. It says:

This device is working properly.

If you are having problems with this device, click Troubleshoot to start the troubleshooter.

Driver date: 7/1/2001
version: 5.1.25.....

Did you say you were using a firewire port on an audio card? That driver may be stuck. You may need to uninstall the audio card. Then get it working with the motherboard ports, then reinstall the audio card.

Proprietary firewire ports on audio cards sometimes direct all traffic their way.

well sort of. the audio card is an external interface. I had the camera daisy chained through the audio card, and it was working fine. I did it this way because I have only one firewire port on my computer, and two firewire devices - the audio interface and the camera. the audio interface has two firewire ports on it... so I plug the camera into the audio box, and the box into the computer. it was working fine that way.

I've tried it both ways now, with and without the audio card in between the camera and the computer. nothing happens when I plug the camera in either way.

I would try plugging the camera into another computer, but the only problem there is the only other computer I have with a firewire port has firewire 4pin, and I don't have a 4pin-4pin cable to test it.

are there any drivers I can reinstall or something I can try? if not I guess my only options are to buy a 4-4 firewire cord, or send the camera in for repair, which will probably cost nearly as much as the camera. Damn, it's only 2 months out of warranty.

[edDV]

What is this audio device make and model number?

Either the camcorder DV port is toast or the computer IEEE-1394 port isn't functioning. A second computer or a second camcorder helps ID where the problem is. If the audio device is still detected, then the focus goes to the camcorder. Before paying for repair, I'd try to test it on another computer first.

[Raniburger]

Mate,

I've had exactly the same problem with my DV camera (Sony DCR-HC20E). See my thread: https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=328596 for details. I borrowed a friend's camera & tried it with my cable on my computer & everything worked fine. So then I realised that there must have been a problem with my camera itself, not the cable.

I took the camera in to get looked at (it's only about 2 years old) and was quoted twice the original purchase price to repair it. They reckon I need to change the DV socket, the main PCB board and also the PCB regulator (whatever they do). Now I'm stuck also... Doesn't look like there's an easy way to fix it other than buy a whole new camera. Obviously I'm not happy...

I hope this is NOT what's wrong with yours, but if you can manage to borrow someone else's camera & test it on your rig, then you may be able to narrow down the problem.

Good luck...

[garybeck]

Mate,

I've had exactly the same problem with my DV camera (Sony DCR-HC20E). See my thread: https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=328596 for details. I borrowed a friend's camera & tried it with my cable on my computer & everything worked fine. So then I realised that there must have been a problem with my camera itself, not the cable.

I took the camera in to get looked at (it's only about 2 years old) and was quoted twice the original purchase price to repair it. They reckon I need to change the DV socket, the main PCB board and also the PCB regulator (whatever they do). Now I'm stuck also... Doesn't look like there's an easy way to fix it other than buy a whole new camera. Obviously I'm not happy...

I hope this is NOT what's wrong with yours, but if you can manage to borrow someone else's camera & test it on your rig, then you may be able to narrow down the problem.

Good luck...

yeah, i'm starting to think it's the camera. DAMN. the one-year warranty JUST ran out a month ago. everything else seems to work but the thing is USELESS if I can't transfer to my computer.

this may be the first time I ever regret not getting the extended warranty

[garybeck]

What is this audio device make and model number?

Either the camcorder DV port is toast or the computer IEEE-1394 port isn't functioning. A second computer or a second camcorder helps ID where the problem is. If the audio device is still detected, then the focus goes to the camcorder. Before paying for repair, I'd try to test it on another computer first.

it's a PreSonus 1394 "Inspire" used for recording music through microphones and other audio equipment:

http://presonus.com/inspire1394.html

the audio device is still detected and seems to work fine.

[edDV]

Time to test that camcorder with a different computer.

[moults]

I had exactly the same problem but it turned out to be an xp update as windows only supports the latest cameras!!! Microsoft said they have to keep updating as the number of new cameras coming onto the market made itneccessary for them to drop what is considered to be an older ?? model.

[JohnnyMalaria]

I had exactly the same problem but it turned out to be an xp update as windows only supports the latest cameras!!! Microsoft said they have to keep updating as the number of new cameras coming onto the market made itneccessary for them to drop what is considered to be an older ?? model.

Can you be more specific about what Microsoft said? It sounds somewhat far-fetched (i.e., the Microsoft person didn't really know the correct answer). I have a DV camcorder from 1998 and even Vista recognizes it....

There was an issue with SP2 that stopped some camcorders working with XP. This was due to Microsoft *correctly* making the drivers meet the full IEEE-1394 specifications. As a consequence, camcorders that did not meet the specs (some older models) stopped working with SP2.

See http://www.myvideoproblems.com/ProblemPages/CamNotWorkingUnderSP2.htm for more.

[edDV]

I had exactly the same problem but it turned out to be an xp update as windows only supports the latest cameras!!! Microsoft said they have to keep updating as the number of new cameras coming onto the market made itneccessary for them to drop what is considered to be an older ?? model.

DV transfer over IEEE-1394 (aka Firewire or I-Link) is a standard independent of make or model numbers. They are all supposed to be the same.

I have a wide variety of old and new DV devices (mostly Sony and Canopus) and all work fine including the earliest model Digital8 DCR-TRV103 and MiniDV VX-1000.

[moults]

All I know is i have to borrow a neighbours Digicamcorder to enable me to see my tapes and edit etc. The model I have is a JVC DVL9000 which although 5 years old it is a superb camcorder. I was unaware of the fix available and will try that over the weekend.

[zoobie]

I read this sometimes happens when you update wmp