AboutKarl Zick Expertise I can answer most questions on Windows 9X and XP - or other aspects of PC software and hardware installation, upgrade, and troubleshooting. Visit my free web site at www.kzconsulting.info for tutorials, tips and tricks, and problem identification and solution.
Experience
Previous USAF Colonel and Aerospace engineer. PC consultant for over 15 years. Client database of over 70 small businesses and individuals.
Question Karl
Hi again. I have Win 98, but a recently purchased camera requires Win 2000 (SP4), orWin XP (SP2) to download pictures. Is an "upgrade" - ideally free - available?
Thanks.
DBRJ
Answer Your problem is that Win 98 does not support USB devices in a `plug and play' mode. Your camera came with a USB cable but if you use it to connect the camera to your computer, Win 98 does not recognize it.
What you need is a USB SD card reader with a Win 98 USB driver. Walmart has a Targus card reader for about $8 that will work. If the driver is no longer in the package, you can download one from the Targus web site.
Depending on the brand of your camera, a SD card reader may not work. The SD card is, of course, the memory card that stores all of your photo's. They are pretty standard for most cameras, but cameras like Olympus use XD instead of SD. Take out the card and see what the label says before you buy a reader.
Once you have a reader and have installed the driver, open your Windows Explorer or My Computer, plug the card into a USB port, and wait till your computer finds it. Then use the copy>paste feature in Win Explorer to copy the pictures from the card to your hard drive.
If your computer is so old that it does not have USB ports, you can buy a PCI-to-USB card to give you computer access. Some of these cards come with Win 98 USB drivers.
