Path to portable device

Question

I am using VB 2008 Express edition on Windows 7

While trying to write a small program to dowload MOV files from my Canon Ixus990 Digital camera,
I am unable to "see" the Camera.
The Camera shows in Window 7 as a Portable Device and the following code is as far as I have got.

Dim sourcepath As String
        Dim pathfrom As String
        Dim FolderBrowserDialog1 As New FolderBrowserDialog

        sourcepath = "Computer\Canon DIGITAL IXUS 990 IS\Removable storage\"
    
        With FolderBrowserDialog1
     
            .SelectedPath = sourcepath
            .ShowNewFolderButton = False
            .Description = "Now select the source directory"
            sourcePath = .SelectedPath & "\"
            PathFrom = FolderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath
        End With

        OpenFileDialog1.InitialDirectory = FolderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath
        With OpenFileDialog1
            .FileName = vbNullString
            .Filter = "Mov Files (*.MOV)/*.MOV/(.All Files (*.*)/*.*"
            .FilterIndex = 1 '
            .Multiselect = True
            .CheckFileExists = True 'Only select existing files
            .Title = "Ixus Mov Files"
    
            If .ShowDialog() = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
                For Each filename As String In .FileNames
                    ListBox1.Items.Add(filename) 'Add files to list box
                Next
                ListBox1.Visible = True
            End If

        End With

This line is my problem.
"Computer\Canon DIGITAL IXUS 990 IS\Removable storage\"
This is the path I get by right clicking on the camera in windows and selecting properties.

I am sure that previous versions ofWindows treated the Camera as a hard drive and gave it a drive letter.
As I am a beginner any help is appreciated

Answer 1

Your code is wrong, the sourcepath = "Computer\Canon DIGITAL IXUS 990 IS\Removable storage\"  the sourcepath should start with the Letter of the Drive. For Example my MP3 player, when i plugged in , i got this H:\Documents as directory, Documents is a folder i created inside my MP3. What you need to do , when you plugged in your camera, try to click on the drive in windows explorer and look at the address box, you will see the directory.

Also the filter is wrong   .Filter = "Mov Files (*.MOV)/*.MOV/(.All Files (*.*)/*.*" , it should be   .Filter = "Mov Files (*.MOV,*.mov)|*.MOV,*.mov | All Files (*.*) |*.*"

kaymaf

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I hope this helps, if that is what you want, just mark it as answer so that we can move on

Answer 2

This is Windows 7 and the path shows without a drive letter, that is my problem.

"Computer\Canon DIGITAL IXUS 990 IS\Removable storage\" is the path that Windows 7
returns when right clicking on the camera, No drive letter.

All other drives on my system show with drive letters as normal.

Answer 3

Try this code below and see if you get the directory by select your drive from your code. i set your Title bar text to the selectpath

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Dim FileDir As New FolderBrowserDialog
        FileDir.ShowNewFolderButton = False
        FileDir.Description = "Now select the source directory"
        If FileDir.ShowDialog = DialogResult.OK Then
            Me.Text = FileDir.SelectedPath
          End If

kaymaf

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I hope this helps, if that is what you want, just mark it as answer so that we can move on

Answer 4

The same thing happens as does in my code.
I can delve into the directeories on the camera but as soon as I select the desired directory
the folderbrowser OK button becomes inactive

Answer 5

I should add that using windows explorer , allows me to delve into the directories in the camera as I should.

Answer 6

must likely what you see is a shell namespace extension view that does not have a physical folder. If you don't see it in file dialogs, then it does not support Windows's file dialogs, so you can not access the shell namespace extension view in programs other than Windows Explorer.

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MSMVP VC++

Answer 7

"you can not access the shell namespace extension view in programs other than Windows Explorer"

Well you can, obviously, it's just that you have to go through the same set of Shell Namepsace APIs that Explorer does. 

Answer 8

I have just stumbles across the fact that, if I press cance,l at the folderbrowserdialog, the filedialog allows me to browse the device !!

Will look to see what I can do with this info.
But all suggestions/help are still welcome.

Answer 9

I too am trying to copy files from a digital camera that only shows up as a portable device and not a mass storage device with a drive letter.  Have you gotten any further with your project?  What I am looking to do is copy files off a digital camera while keeping all the attributes with it (ie filename, date/time) and possibly delete the file from the flash card of the camera at the same time.

Answer 10

I have not been able to progress any further.

Answer 11

I had a similar problem with an MP3 player which was recognized by Windows 7 as "Portable Device". I managed to get it to attribute a letter by manually updating the device's driver in Device Manager to "USB Mass Storage Device". Try it, and maybe you could change your approach to take advantage of this.
Have fun

Answer 12

Can you explain, more fully, how you went about this, please.

Answer 13

The Pict:

Did you ever get a resolution to this?

I am seeking the same answer.

Answer 14

No, I never did

Answer 15

If the camera is recognized by Windows Vista/7 as a "Portable Device", you can probably use Windows Portable Device APIs to enumerate/transfer files from the device.

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Answer 16

Can u please tell me how do u did this?

" I managed to get it to attribute a letter by manually updating the device's driver in Device Manager to "USB Mass Storage Device" "