Help!Vivitar Vivicam 3935 driver/ batterry life problem

hamblemary · #1 02-25-2005, 10:39 AM

Hi all,

I wanted to ask for some help, Ive looked around the forum for threads about Vivitar and Vivcams and with computers that do not recognise a camera.

I bought a vivitar vivcam3935 yesterday. It is 5mega pixels. Im a complete beginner to digital cameras, but it was a great deal. I couldnt wait to get it home and have a go. However, I have two major concerns.

[B]1. Battery life[/B]
The battery ( Duracell ultra) lasted about an hour! Im not kidding! Ive looked up the camera on review sites and this seems to be a common problem.

Would you recommend rechargable lithium batteries or if not, can you make any suitable suggestions. Is it worth geting a Mains lead? Afterall it wont help me when Im out taking pictures.

2. Driver/ device recognition problem
I use Windows XP home, I have installed software that came with the camera(photo suite and photo vista) but the only driver on it is for Windows 98. The XP plug and play system is not working, my computer will not recognise the camera. The camera is correctly connected and Ive tried all 3 USB ports.

I have tried going to control panel> add hardware> digital camera and scanners, and the installation process does not work. Each time it tells me it cannot find drivers for the device. I tried to install it from the disc, my computer says there are no drivers on the disc.

There must be something very obvious that I am overlooking!

Im getting frustrated as hell. Im due to travell to SriLanka within the week and I dont want any othese problems out there. THe useless battery is going to be a big enough problem!

I tried calling Vivitar (Europe) Ph. (44) 1793 554250 and a recorded telecom announcement says "This number is not accepting calls at this time."

So basically, not a good day! please help!

Hamble x

hamblemary · #2 02-28-2005, 12:33 PM

update: the camera works on another computer with xp home.

Does anyone have any tips? do I have to re-install XP?

anyone?!

hamblemary · #3 02-28-2005, 09:40 PM

quick up date 2:

I tried the camera on my laptop a few more times and I got a an error message:
" one of the USB devices attached to this computer has malfunctioned,and windows does not recognise it"

Which is the one thing I know isnt true as it worked immediately on another computer.

Also, its a bigger problem now. I bought a printer HP deskjet 3845 today and I cant install it! I came across several error messages.

" The third party INF does not contain digital signiture information"

"the soft ware you are installing for this hardware (USB Printing support) has not passed Windows logo testing to verify its compatibility with Windows XP, continuing your installation of this software may impair or destabilise the correct operation of your system either immediately or in the future. Microsoft strongly reccomends that you stop this installation now an contact the hardware vendor for softeware that has passed itsWindows logo testing."

What does any of this mean?! And I would be grateful if any response coud be simple please! Assume no programming knowledge. I just need to know what I need to do as a result.

I have a Packard Bell Easynote and it is not the ports, I tried all three with my flash card and my scanner works though that does not have its own power supply and feeds of the laptop.

I DL a windows service pack 1 , the computer is only weeks (7) old, but figured maybe as it had not been updated, the printer was newer. still didnt work.

I have a colleague who will also be travelling with a laptop. and Im getting an SD 512mb memory card, so the camera should be ok.

but to be honest I just need to know if it is a "taking the comuter back to the shop" thing, or if there is a patch or another update I can get.

Id appreciate any response.

thanks

megreene · #4 03-06-2005, 05:53 PM

Hi.
I found the information you need on pages 57,58 of the instruction manual. The memory card on this camera is not under a camera driver, but under a removable disk in USB. I tried the instructions and they worked great.

Concerning batteries. My duracell went down real quick also, so I tried some energizer. I was ok till I tried (about an hour) later to download to the computer. I had problems like you did and the batteries went dead while I was searching drivers.
Page 21 of the owners manual states batteries at the top. I think NI-MH ia a rechargeable battery (NI-CAD is). Maybe a CR-V3 battery lasts longer.