Setting Up Your Digital Camera

Windows XP recognizes common cameras and scanners, so often you need only attach the device to your computer and Windows XP will recognize the new hardware and set it up automatically. You'll know this is happening because Windows XP alerts you with messages that pop up in the system tray.

If you have a camera that Windows XP does not recognize, you can set it up manually using the Scanner and Camera Installation Wizard. Follow these steps:

1.	Click Start and then click Control Panel.
2.	Click Printers and Other Hardware.
3.	Click the Scanners and Cameras Control Panel icon.
4.	In the task pane, click the Add an imaging device link (see Figure 12.2) to start the Scanner and Camera Installation Wizard. Figure 12.2. You can start Windows' Scanner and Camera Installation Wizard from the Control Panel.
5.	Follow the steps in the wizard, entering or selecting the correct settings and clicking Next to move from one step to another. The basic steps ask you to select the manufacturer and model of your particular device (see Figure 12.3). You also select the port to which the device is attached, as well as type an identifying name for the device. When you've entered all the information, click Finish to complete the setup. Figure 12.3. You can select your particular camera from the list.

tip

Your camera most likely came with a disk with the appropriate driver (the file that tells Windows the technical details about the camera). You can use this disk to set up your camera. (This may be your only choice if your camera model is not listed in the Scanner and Camera Installation Wizard.) To do so, click Have Disk when prompted to select the manufacturer and model and then select the drive that contains your camera's disk. Follow the steps for that process, clicking Next to go from step to step.