Canon S1 IS -- Incompatible w/ USB 2.0 under Win2K?

We just went through Install Hell this morning, trying to get our
new Canon S1 IS installed under Windows 2000. After hours
of trial and error we discovered Canon's Win2000 Twain driver
is incompatible with our USB 2.0 card (standard NEC controller),
using Microsoft's standard USB 2.0 driver. The camera was not
seen at all, even though all of our other USB/USB 2.0 devices
work perfectly under this same configuration.

Finally we tried using the onboard USB 1.1 ports on our system
motherboard and the camera was immediately seen.

This is just an FYI for anyone having a similar problem. I sure
wish Canon would come up with a seamless driver similar to
most other manufacturers, that simply associate a removeable
drive letter with the camera.

Rick

 

The S1 IS is only a USB1 device, Canon are slack it should have been a USB2
device.

 

Some of your assumptions are not right Rick.
NEC never did make a "standard" USB 2.0 card.
Microsoft's "standard" USB 2.0 driver does not always work. If, for example
you have certain SIS chipsets, you have to install a BIOS patch before it
works properly. Basically, USB is a problematical interface. If you have the
alternative of firewire, use it because it is faster and more stable than
USB.

Otherwise, upgrade your 2k to Service Pack 4 and the 'new' Microsoft USB
driver. You can't expect product vendors to make USB compatible products
when Microsoft insist on keeping the source for the drivers secret and do
not allow vendors to provide a driver for USB for either Win2k or XP.
Microsoft keep altering the code and not informing anyone so how in Gods
name can you blame Canon when it's Microsoft who have taken over the
standard? It's worse that the Java fiasco.

Douglas

 

Not a card. However they do make the most popular (and
most widely supported) USB 2.0 *controller*. In fact,
Microsoft's initial USB 2.0 driver supported only the NEC
controller.

Basic Intel BX system here, nothing special.

I agree. However, for some reason most digital still camera
manufacturers have opted for USB 2.0 instead of firewire.

SP4 and the latest USB driver are installed. One of the many
things we tried was reverting back to SP3 -- same problem.

That's not true. Our USB 2.0 card (from ADS Tech) included
its own Win2K driver. However, we didn't see 2.0 speed with
our 2.0 devices until we installed MS's driver.

Then someone needs to explain why our half dozen other USB
devices (both 1.1 and 2.0) work perfectly with the same
NEC-based card. Sony F717 camera, keyboard, mouse,
scanner etc. I'd also like to know why Sony, Minolta, Oly etc
were able to write Win2K drivers that simply add their cameras
as a removeable drive while Canon insists on making people
load cruddy software such as ZoomBrowser to gain access to
their cameras.

Rick

 

USB 2.0 is backward compatible with 1.1 devices, or at
least it's supposed to be. But I agree with your point.

Rick

 

Actually ZoomBrowser and all that crap are optional. You can install only a
driver and see your Canon just as a removable drive or use Photoshop to get
pictures from your camera. I use this method on my corporate laptop since we
are not suppose to install anything on those.
Good luck,
- Tommi

PS: Some data: tested on Win 2k pro and Win XP pro with Canon EOS-10D

 

Not under Windows 2000 you can't. You're thinking of either
WinXP or WinME.

Rick

 

Agreed. The S1 works fine on a USB2 port but only at USB1 speed, the
limiting factor is the S1's USB1 design.

 

No it doesn't, at least with our ADS Tech USB2.0 card, as
I explained in the original post. The S1 isn't recognized at all.

Which USB 2.0 card (and/or controller) are you using?

Rick

 

Update: We enabled one of the two USB Root Hubs for the
onboard USB 1.1 controller (the onboard controller itself is
still disabled), and now the S1 is seen on the USB 2.0 card.

Strange, but at least it works.

Rick