EOS utility, takes ages to connect to 400D

[bojan]

I am experiencing strange problem: it takes ages for my laptop (XP) to connect to camera when I plug in the USB cable, like 5 or so minutes.
Also, once the camera is finally recognised the system asks me what software should be running and it offers me a list with EOS utility, Word, Powerpoint, Scan etc.. If I click EOS utility for example, the ordeal starts again. Very time consuming...
I would like to somehow disable this un-necessary dialogue.
The only thing I really want to run is Focus assist, which connects after couple of seconds.
In preferences the automatic start of EOS utility is disabled.. Is there some registry setting I should change/remove?
Or do I have to re-install the whole thing...
Thanks..

[Dennis]

Wow – that is bad news! I have a 4 ½ year old IBM ThinkPad running XP Pro SP3 and it only takes a few seconds for EOS Utility to start and no dialogue boxes pop up.

I always connect using the same USB port that I used when I first connected the 40D to the laptop – could that be an issue with your set up?

Cheers

Dennis

[bojan]

I have no idea..
Now I removed EOS utility but it is the same.. drivers. it seems.. or some funny system problem. This does not exist on my desktop (W2000 pro)

[Dennis]

I once had a problem with an Orion CCD camera where if I tried to plug it into a USB port other than the one which I used for the original install, it was not recognised and various dialogues opened up asking me to install from the CD for drivers etc.

Hope you manage to fix it, especially since these devices are meant to be plug and play!

Cheers

Dennis

[bojan]

I forgot to mention, I have Pointsec installed on that laptop (it is a company lap). I am wandering if it is interfering with camera drivers...

[Tandum (Robin)]

I'd try it with an other cable, a short one to start with. Do you have any antivirus installed? Google avg free, install update and scan. When the camera connect popup appears, you should be able to browse to the default program to startup upon connect. Set Focus Assist there. If it's still slow, try putting a powered hub in the chain. USB is supposed to deliver 1/2Amp to the attached device but older laptops often are unable to achieve this. The powered hub can supply the current, although most cameras have batteries and do not require USB power. Still worth a try.

I doubt it's a driver problem as it eventually comes up and works, I'm guessing.
It's most likely a problem with windows being alerted that the camera is attached.

[bojan]

Originally Posted by Tandum

I doubt it's a driver problem as it eventually comes up and works, I'm guessing.
It's most likely a problem with windows being alerted that the camera is attached.

Thank you for al those ideas

Laptop is relatively new (Dell 620), and one of the first things I tried was with short cable, but the same thing happened. It eventually comes to its senses and works...
It is a company lap, fully protected and I avoid having it on web from home, so I doubt it is virus of any sort.
Most likely I plugged the camera on different port at some early stage and now I have the problem (If I remember correctly, Canon mentioned something about installing software first then plugging camera or vice versa..).

It does look like Windows alert that camera is there, but Focus assist is not on the list of offered programs in dialogue
Is it possible to disable this dialogue at all?

[Tandum (Robin)]

You could try turning off autoplay in group policies.

Start/Run type in gpedit.msc to get the policy editor.
Go to Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/System using the nav window on the left.
Scroll down to Turn off Autoplay in window on the right and click the properties link to display a dialog. Set it to disabled. and reboot the machine.

That might do it but if not, put it back where it was

[bojan]

Thanks, I will try this ..
However, miraculously, last night it took only seconds to connect. And what's even more curious, laptop was left powered up from the night before (I am just closing the screen and forcing it into sleep mode because I not want to waste any time on booting) so it was in the same state.. it seems it needs a number of connecting attempts or what?
Windows... :-)

[leon]

Yep, I too have found that if I don"t plug it into the same USB port that originally loaded the software it can play up.

Leon