Firewire/1394 problems (still!) HELP!

[Blurred]

Ok.

I run Windows XP.

My 1394 is properly install and is "working properly" according to Windows XP in the Device Manager.

I plug my camera into it, (yes, the camera is turned on) and windows/my pc doesn't do a damn thing. Doesn't recognize it, nothing. I've tried different firewire cords, no dice. I even tried another camera the other day, not recognised....this card use to recognise and work with my camera just fine. Any suggestions? I've been trying to figure this problem out for a very long time....

[StaggerLee]

Try re-installing the driver for the card. Do you have a USB 2.0 port? If so, go USB. Depending upon what generation your 1394 controller/card is, it may be time to upgrade. I had a similar problem with an older 1394 card. They can be flakey - typically driver related. If you can't get it to work, get a newer gen firewire or USB card. They have gotten pretty cheap. Try www.pricewatch.com. Good luck.

[Blurred]

Wow, you're right. I think I paid @$100 dollars for my first card...prices are super low now. Thanks for the heads up, I wasn't willing to all out replace the card, but now it's an option.

[Arty50]

Try re-installing the driver for the card. Do you have a USB 2.0 port? If so, go USB.

USB 2.0 and digital cameras don't go along so well with each other. There's a very good reason 99% of the digital cameras out there use Firewire.

[StaggerLee]

USB 2.0 and digital cameras don't go along so well with each other. There's a very good reason 99% of the digital cameras out there use Firewire.

I guess that's why most digital SLRs (low to high end) support USB but not Firewire...Your argument hasn't held water for at least a year+. There are clear advantages of both FW and USB. They are equally adept at porting digital content from peripheral device to computer. Ironically, my iPod pukes when connected w/ FW. The only way I can get it to sync is via USB port.

[LaramieSkiBum]

download new drivers from the OEM website

[Arty50]

I guess that's why most digital SLRs (low to high end) support USB but not Firewire...Your argument hasn't held water for at least a year+. There are clear advantages of both FW and USB. They are equally adept at porting digital content from peripheral device to computer. Ironically, my iPod pukes when connected w/ FW. The only way I can get it to sync is via USB port.

Ooops, I'm sorry. I need to clarify my earlier statement. I meant to say digital vidcam. I just assumed that's what blurred was referring to since most digital still cameras use USB. I had forgotten that some Digital SLRs have Firewire too.

USB is plenty fine for digital still cameras. For digital video cameras, it is wholly inadequate. I posted some info on this in another thread.

[Buster Highmen]

The XP 1394 driver is notoriously bad. We've tried to use it for kernel debugging laptops and the debugger connection just never works consistently. Chairman Bill's Bitfactory drones are well aware of the problem.

One approach is to try to set up the hw config of your machine to be exactly like it was when the 1394 driver worked.

Another approach is to configure your machine to have the most basic vanilla hw setup as possible: only basic VGA monitor connection, basic mouse and keyboard (no usb or fw keyboard or mouse) and the 1394 cable unplugged. No network, no other devices. Reboot the machine and let it sit for 5 minutes or until the disk activity light stops flashing. Then try.

I'm assuming it's a laptop. You could also try taking it to some shop and ask them to try a bunch of other 1394 cards to see if a new one will work.

I hate 1394.

[Free Range Lobster]

Which camera is this?

And I agree on the hating of 1394.
Its been nothing but problems for me.

[Ski Monkey]

I love firewire. Works every time. Digi Cams, iPods, hard drives, whatever. It's fast and delicious.

Sorry blurred, no advice to help you out, just had to say something in regards to everyone bagging on it.

[Yeti]

I've had an external DVD burner that has followed me through several computers, all using 1394. Most recent XP system would recognize the burner only spottily, and almost always derecognized the drive midway through a burn. A few dozen coasters later, I switched to the USB2 interface for the burner with no further problems.

Still use 1394 for DV transfer and ipoddery, though.

[bbirtle]

DV or still? I can't remember if my Panasonic DV camera actually does anything when you just plug it into the firewire jack... but when I fire up Premiere and do File > Capture it works fine.

Yeah probably a device driver error - you would think you'd get a little "eject" icon in your notification area - but I'm too lazy to check what my camera does right now. Something to try, maybe, though.

[Buster Highmen]

It may be of some real benefit (other than that innate satisfaction of dickwaving with random abandon) for people to define exactly which 1394 card and driver they're using.

[DownhillRider]

Go to future shop (or best buy if you're in the u.s.) pick up any card, pop it in, install drivers that come with it, if it still doesn't work return it, if it does work either keep it or return it and go to a local shop and buy one from there if it's cheaper (local shops usually dont have the 30 day money back thing though, which is why you'd go to best buy first)

Oh, this problem drove me crazy once too...bought a vid camera, thought I knew shit about computers...took me a week to finally go and try a new card, I seriously got NO sleep for that whole week.

[Blurred]

Thanks for your input you guys. I should have told you that this is for my video camera, and that I'm using it on my PC.
It's a sony digi8 camera. I can't figure out the brand name of my card, it's been a long time since I installed it. Sandra hasn't been much help. I think Buster may be on to something though, because it used to work if I rebooted my pc several times. My keyboard is usb, I may try disabling/disconnecting a lot of my hardware. I've got all sorts of shit sharing the PCI slots with the firewire card, including wireless nic, reg nic, 56k modem. Agp video card (radeon 9600pro) in the agp slot, 2 HD's....I didn't know 1394 was such a turd for a lot of people.

[Blurred]

got a new card, installed it and still no dice....pulled some of thhe pci cards out, let it sit for 5 minutes after booting up, still nothing. any other suggestions?

[wildstyle]

Do you have access to another computer / laptop with firewire so you can check to see if the camera is still working on its 1394 socket ... ?

need to rule out shagged vid camera....

[sfotex]

Is the new device/card showing up in the xp device manager?