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Kodak Easyshare...not easy with me!



 
 
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Old July 3rd 04, 11:05 PM
KILOWATT
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Default Kodak Easyshare...not easy with me!

Ok...for you who like to read old posts, as a late update (sorry, i was
occupied the last few days),here's the "new" bugs (or should i simply say
"problems"?) i have with Easyshare 3.4:
1- With Easyshare loaded, Windows(98SE) showed 78% free ressources instead
of 94% without it and the computer was also slower. So what i did was to
remove the Easyshare and the Kodak Software Updater from startup folder so
they don't load with Windows. Without them running, i had 91% free
ressources when Windows loaded and i could work again normally with the
computer(the only two programs (installed by the camera) that still loaded
with Windows were Kodakccs.exe and Stimon.exe). But the problem i've found
thereafter is that my camera can't anymore be accessed. It didn't appeared
anymore as a drive letter in "My Computer". I've found that Easyshare needed
to absolutely load with Windows for the camera to appear in "MyComputer",
when the transfer button is pressed on the camera dock. So thursday june 24,
i've called Kodak's 1-800 support phone number. The representative said that
as long as Kodakccs.exe is running, i should be able to see my camera's
drive letter when i press the dock's transfer button. He did tried with me
so many things that i can't remember all the procedures. We went in the
registry editor, the device manager...etc. He managed to make the camera
appear once in "My Computer" but after a reboot and pressing the transfer
button again, the camera wasn't there anymore! After more than 30
minutes(!!) of testing and rebooting of Windows, he made me copying two
files from C:\Program Files\Kodak\Kodak EasyShare software\bin to
C:\Windows\? and thereafter asked to plug the camera directly to the
computer's usb port instead of using the dock, and to turn it on. Voilà! It
worked...even after rebooting. We tried to transfer back via the dock
(after diconnecting the cable from the camera and reconnecting it to the
dock) and it worked also this way. I was happy...he was relieved! ;-) The
guy spent 45 minutes with me trying to solve the problem!

But the story was not over yet. About three hours after speaking with the
Kodak guy, when trying again to acess my camera's drive letter...could not
access! Even after rebooting. I was frustrated against my own computer and
Kodak! I leaved all the computer stuff and got a Popsicle to calm and freeze
down! ;-) Later that evening, more calm... i decided to troubleshoot on my
own. I began by checking the functions of those running programs starting
with Kodakccs.exe. On the following site
http://www.windowsstartup.com/wso/detail.php?id=1406 i've found that it's
the Kodak DC File System Driver and is required by Windows for accessing my
camera. Now for Still Image Monitor.exe (StiMon.exe), i've found the
following link toward Microsoft interesting:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;257815
Discovered that this file is not installed by Kodak, but by Windows itself
when it detects an imaging device (my dx-6490 camera). I wondered if it was
absolutely necessary in my case so i went in MSCONFIGstartup to disable it
from there, then i restarted Windows. Believe it or not, since i disabled
this program, i can access the camera (with or without the dock). it's been
almost a week now since i use the Kodak camera connection software without
StiMon.exe running and in over more than 20 tries, i didn't got any access
problems yet! I then went in the registry to definitevely remove it. The
Easyshare program itself works, i just need to open it before i press the
transfer button on the dock to see then the transfer dialog opening.

2- The second problem is a little less annoying (can be disastrous for
those who don't have a disk imaging software and have to reformat and
reinstall Windows from scratch,nonetheless!) but mysterious. If the camera
is active in the dock (mode indicator flashing on the camera and it's drive
letter appears in "MyComputer") and i try to reboot the computer, Windows
loads and then it freeze with a blank screen just before the desktop
appears. CTRL-ALT-DEL doesn't do anything and i have to reset the machine by
the reset switch. Then Windows starts to load a second or two to then stop
and show me the startup options ("safe mode" is highlighted). I choose then
"Normal" and press "enter". When Windows has finished loading, i'm in VGA
mode, and 16 colors!! Then most of the time, i doesn't take long before i
get this error message shown he
http://www3.sympatico.ca/kilo.watt/i...lue_screen.JPG
I have to wait 8 minutes (for the camera to auto-power off itself) or
disconnect the dock's usb cable before rebooting to avoid that. Yesterday,
I've called back Kodak's 1-800 support phone number. The representative
seemed confused about my problem. He asked to to go to "add/remove programs"
to modify the installation of Easyshare. He asked me to just keep the camera
connection software, and uninstall the Kodak Easyshare and Kodak Software
Updater. He asked then to reboot...and once Windows loaded, said to press
the dock's transfer button.
-"Do you still able to see the camera in MyComputer?"
-"Yess... i can see it, and browse the folders without any problem..."
-"Great...now try to reboot your computer and well see..."
The blank screen appeared just after Windows almost finished to load,and
the machine was frozen up!
-"Hmmm, now i don't have any choice than to restore again the C:\ drive's
partition since i get the same deceiving results,sir!"
-"Hmm...ok. Let me ask something to another technician"
- "You will call me back?"
-"No...stay online...i wont be long..."
I thought i would have to wait 10~15 minutes...but after only 2 minutes he
was there!
-"Sir, we will send you by mail a small card reader...you plug this in one
usb port, you remove the card from your camera and insert it in the reader."
-"Yess...but i can already transfer my images with the dock... what i need
is help to solve the actual problem with it.
-"I'm sorry Sir... we don't have any other solution for you. Just restore
your image you've made and use thereafter our card reader if you don't want
this to happen again."
-"Ok...but it took only two minutes to the tech to dertermine that there's
nothing that can be done with this issue? I mean... i've paid for the dock
to spare the camera and the SD card's gold contacts from wear because of
multiple insertions and removals. I want to use it"
-"I'm really sorry sir, that's all we can do..." (he said that with a very
vague,evasive voice). That let me think the following: first, they don't
want to even take a few minutes to examine this issue, or second, they are
already aware of this since a long time and they really couln't find a
solution for Win98SE users. Since i'll build a new computer this fall with
Win XP installed, probably that this small particular problem won't show
with it...hopefully. It's why i don't really panic about this issue, but i
would had appreciated more consideration from them at least....if not a
solution. I could not let him go before asking about the firmware issue ;-)
-"Just an additional question sir... since a lot of dx-6490 users including
myself have complained about the high JPEG compression issue, and since some
people said that it could be solved by a rewritten firmware, can you tell me
if there's any new one planned for release?"
-"Sir...just go to our website. You can check there if there's one for your
camera..."
-"I know...but if i ask you, it's because i already checked. My question is
if there's anyone planned yet?"
-"I am not able to tell you...probably in a few weeks...i'm not
shure...personally i never heard about this compression issue." This time he
was VERY evasive and i started to feel like...loosing my time.
-"Well ok, and thanks anyway for the card reader...i appreciate"
-"No problem, i was happy to serve you sir!" (with a really relieved voice!)
:-)
I'm not angry against them, but i have a strange feeling about all this. I
can already see an analogy with a new car owner that is having problems with
the winshield washer system, and the dealer offers free car wash coupons
instead of solving the problem. ;-) Anyway... it was my little "Easy"share
story and despite the JPEG compression and the software issue...i still
think i've made a good choice for a cam 1000$. Still there? Well...thanks
to read, was appreciated!

--
Alain(alias:Kilowatt)
Montréal Québec
PS: 1000 excuses for errors or omissions,
i'm a "pure" french canadian! :-)
Come to visit me at: http://kilowatt.camarades.com
(If replying also by e-mail, remove
"no spam" from the adress.)


 




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