Sony Video Camera will not run on vista, help please?

[Janomac101]

Hi all, hope someone out there can help me.
I own a Sony Video Camera.
Type DCR-TRV265E Easy HandyCam Digital 8.
It has USB Streaming and digital in and out.
It also has ilink facilities.

On purchasing a Dell Dimension Computer last week I have found that I have a
problem connecting it to download my films.
This computer now runs Vista Premium.
The ‘Picture Package’ Ver 1 software seems to load and I can see my film
when I am running the ‘adjust and confirm USB stream’; but when it comes to
downloading the film the whole thing shuts down. It says something about
destination file lost.
I have found that when I try to run it through the Microsoft moviemaker it
can not detect the camera, (a problem I never had with my previous computer
running Microsoft XP). I should say that I’m using a USB cable.
The weird thing is that the hardware devices folder in the control panel
does detect the camera and says it is working properly.
I have spoke to Dell support but too little avail. They say I should try the
iLink cable, but I never needed it before with my previous and much older
computer.
Can you help?
Is there a download or patch for this problem?
Is there another way round it?
I should add that although my camera can use a firewire or iLink cable this
new computer doesn’t have a port, although maybe I could get on fitted at a
later date.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Ian Caira.

[Brad Gaffney]

Try this:
Shutdown your pc.
Connect your video camera, and turn it on.
Then start up your computer with the camera already on.

This worked for me and my JVC camera.

Um, have you talked to Sony? This isn't the first Sony product I've heard of
that doesn't work on Vista...

[HDFatBoy2003]

Yep, Microsoft changed something in the native drivers for Vista. My FX1
use to work flawlessly under all of the betas and RCs of Vista but in the
final release it's a no go.

The camera is recognized but only Windows Movie Maker can capture the video.
I use firewire as my connection. The camcorder use to be recognized as two
different devices but on RTM it now only is recornized as one device. The
drivers are different than under XP. So my major two apps for capturing
video don't see it any longer. I boot into XP to capture and then back to
Vista to edit. Hoping to find a resolution to the problem but so far Sony
and MS are not of much help.

[Mary P]

I have a Canon, a Sony and a JVC and none of them will run on Vista. I have
to use my husbands computer with XP to transfer video files. The Canon is new
and ads stated it was Vista compatable (not!). I actually use my husbands
computer for a lot of tasks that Vista just wont do.

Have you tried firewire as opposed to USB?

[Mary P]

I have tried both and neither work. The camera recognizes the firewire as the
screen displays DV- IN. Vista recognizes the camera but searches for a
driver, Canaon states a driver should not be necessary

[Adam Albright]

This is what works for me.

NOTE: I have the Vista Business version and only have the limited
Movie Maker, not DVD maker. I use professional level video software so
I'm just walking through this using Movie Maker just to see what
happens.

I just grabbed a consumer level digital camera. A Cannon ZR45 I often
carry around with me just in case something happens. It is one of many
digitals cameras of all prices ranges I tried with Vista and they all
work properly without me having to do anything. ;-)

1. I plugged in a firewire cable to the camera and into my computer.
After doing so I immediately get the audio cue that Vista "sees"
the camera. So far, so good.

2. I open up Movie Maker, from the File Menu select import from
Digital Camera.

3. Vista opens a window asking for a name, WHERE on my system I
want to import to and the format. I leave the defaults so it
will import to my video folder as a DV compressed AVI file.

4. I click next, then a new window opens asking if I want to import
the entire video tape or just a portion.

5. I select the second option, to select a portion. A new window
opens, I hear my camera's motor spin up and in a few seconds I
see the video from the tape in the camera, in the camera's viewer
window AND I also see the same video tape's starting frame
displayed in Windows' Movie Maker.

6. I see controls in Movie Maker I can use to set where I should
start the video from with typical scrubber controls. I ignore that
and just click on the Start Video Import button.

7. I import about 60 seconds worth of video. As I'm doing this I
see the video play in BOTH my camera's viewer and in Movie Maker.

8. After stopping, the video I just captured automatically appears
in Movie Maker's Import List and gets loaded into the Movie Maker
preview window. It plays fine with audio in sync from within
Movie Maker.

So Vista CAN correctly import a DV AVI file from a digital camera.

Not that said, what I don't see in Movie Maker is any indication of
what's happending behind the scenes. So while your camera is connected
to the computer, showing the correct DV status, but in a "stop"
situation, go to Control Panel, Administrative Tools, then Device
Manager.

Now look for your camera in Device Manager. For me, Vista Business
added a new category; Imaging Devices. Expanding that tab I see my
Canon camera listed. Right click, then properties, then look at
details for the driver. For me it finds:

C:\Windows\system 32\drivers\msdv.sys
Provider: Microsoft
File version 6.0.6000.16386 (vista)rtm.061101-2205)

If you don't see this driver or a similar one if by chance a different
version of Vista installs a different driver then gets installed with
the business version I'm using, then something is wrong with your
install of Vista, like it can't find this driver, or it is somehow
damanged or isn't pointed to correctly or just don't start up.

If you can't see what I saw in your camera then either something is
wrong with how your motherboard, BIOS or particular computer handles
firewire, your firewire cable isn't plugged in correctly, or is
damanged or your camera isn't configured correctly to properly
communicate with Windows.

Coming from a professional background I KNOW for a fact some digital
cameras do not support the NECESSARY OCHI compliant IEEE 1394/DV
interface. So while they say they work under Firewire, they wonder
away from the specs which means what the send and receive from the
firewire connector may NOT be compatiable.

I further learned from experience that some computers regardless if
they say they are OCHI compliant or not DO NOT correct support a
proper firewire interface if same is part of the motherboard. I had a
old system that had firewire built into the motherboard and while I
could capture video from all my cameras just fine, it refused to
properly send video back to some cameras and would drop frames like
crazy. Only after adding a external firewire card to my computer that
I knew for a FACT was OCHI compliant did this computer finally work
correctly with all my video cameras. You may have this problem.

That's about all I can think of.

[Mary P]

Review: HP Media Center M7750n with Vista Premium
When I plug in the camcorder I get the beep noise, but no pop up asking me
what I want to do (as I do when I plug in other devices such as still camera
SM card etc).
The camera is visible in Device Manager under other devices but the icon has
an exclamation mark and when I open it states that there is no driver for the
device. I contacted Canon and they suggest I contact HP, because the device
should not require a driver and that there must be a problem within the
partition?? Sorry I am no expert in computers. The camera works fine on
another computer with XP but I want it to work on my new computer with Vista.
when I try to use the various video editing software (Muvee auto producer,
windows movie maker) none of them can detect the camcorder. So now what? Any
suggestions would be most appreciated. can I copy drivers from XP?
Mary P

[Jphin]

I cannot get my sony digital 8 to be recognized by Vista either. Model
number DCR-TRV340.

did you ever get a resolution to this? I just purchased an Insprion 530 and
the systems does detect the Sony .

[Bobbster]

This solution works. The problem is I think there are lots of firewire cards in machines before Vista hence they are not vista compatable so wont see anything.

I could not detect my Canon xm2 so I purchased a Startech.com 2+1 fire wire card from Amazon uk and hey presto I can now see my camera and download video, no thanks to microsoft. I may may wrong but this cetainly worked for me.

[Coregon]

Ian, after you read the posts from Vista users below, you won't feel so
alone. You won't find any answers either. My $500 Sony camera no longer
works because I got a new computer with VISTA installed...although it worked
perfectly with my XP. Vista will continue to blame every device, knowing
full well it is a Vista issue. I plan to get rid of Vista rather than
purchase a new camera, printer, etc. Especially since Vista will not even
acknowledge these issues, which I take to mean they don't plan to resolve the
issue...instead they are passing the blame and the buck to Sony, etc. I'm
very tired of all the "this program is not responding" or "not running" or
device "not found" messages. (Plug and Play..forget it)

I also don't appreciate the suggested Vista "fixes" here (new cables, etc.)
that have not solved anyone's problem with their camera. It's just another
way to shift the focus away from the real problem..which is clearly --Vista.

Good luck with your camera. I use my camera for business and this Vista
driver issue has stopped me in my tracks. Extremely frustrating to say the
least.

My post will probably be moderated out of here..but felt good to say it.

[Marcelo]

Hi My name is Marcelo and I have the same problem with mine dcr-trv240, the
same family camcorder.
It is displayed in device manager and not useful by a software , not
recognised, that´s it???
Did you solved the problem???
Would you tell me please????
Thank´s a lot

[Pley]

VERY SIMPLE SOLUTION:

Your solution is to get yourself a firewire cable for this camera as Sony stopped supporting the USB drivers for this camera quite a while ago.

Take your camera to Best Buy (or whatever electronics store) and get a firewire cable that fits this camera.

When at your computer, simply connect the camera to your Vista computer and Vista will automatically offer to download your video/s. Vista will also list any other video software you may have on your computer that will download your videos.

Hope this helps.

FOLLOW UP:

Those of you using other Sony video recorders and having USB driver problems with Vista, most likely will find success going with a firewire cable to connect and download your videos.

[Khalid]

I have been struggling as well!!! I have a Sony Handycam-PC107E PAL. It works
very well on my XP PC but will not run on my Vista Laptop. I have been
considering upgrading to Windows 7 but will I have the same problems?

This is exactly what happened to me as well!!! Please Heeeeeelp!!!

[Khalid]

Sony don't seem to be interested at all. They do not have anything on their
website that seems to relate to this problem.

Is there a resolution for this on Windows Vista? I have been struggling for
the last few weeks trying to find one without success.

No Firewire on my new Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo Mobile!!! Is there possibly
another way apart from USB?

[diane in seattle]

many apologies if this question has been well-answered in this thread. I
couldn't find an answer that made sense to me while trying to wade through
all the words.

I have a DCR-TRV27 Sony Handycam which I bought used. The guy didn't give me
any cables or software or guides. I've managed to download a guide & then
looked for the right software to download images to my computer.

I was ready to buy a piece of software but was unsure which cable to buy, so
I phoned Sony. The tech there said Windows Movie Maker would be fine to use
for this offloading purpose. She told me which cable to buy--the "IEEE 1394
connection or a USB 2.0 connection," as is noted in Windows Help.

So I got the cable she & Microsoft recommended & have been trying since
yesterday to download images. I get an error messages telling me my USB
device is not recognized. So of course, the drive with the camera on it is
not recognized. I can't install/connect it manually because there's no option
I can find. I look under "imaging devices" & then "Sony," but get no love
whatsoever.

So, I have the camera & the cable & the Windows MM, but am stuck, even after
going through a few scenarios in Vista Home Premium's help & support stuff.

I have connected it, then turned my computer off & back on, & other lowtech
things I've seen suggested here. I do not to my knowledge have Firewire
capability. I say this based on looking at the fitting, which is different
than any fitting I have on my HP Pavilion laptop. I'm stumped.