My video camera won't work with my new laptop?

Question

I've had a SONY Handycam MiniDV DCR-HC26 camcorder for a while. It is a great camera so i see no reason to get rid of it. Recently my laptop was dropped and wasn't working so i threw it in the garbage. I bought a new one. It is Compaq Presario A900. I has no Firewire ports or anything. How can i get my videos to my computer?

Answer 1

Is your new laptop Vista? If so, the icon that you click on to open the software for your camcorder, right click on it and select Run As Administrator. You have to do this with quite a few programs when using Vista as they aren't all totally compatible yet.

If still using XP, make sure you installed any software correctly and make sure you run the New Hardware Wizard when conecting up your camcorder so you can be sure all USB drivers have been installed.

Answer 2

Minidv requires firewire. No way around it. If your laptop has an empty bay, then you can purchase a firewire card for it.

Answer 3

The Sony DCR-HC26 is a miniDV tape based camcorder.

DV transfer is via Firewire (IEEE1394a, i.Link - all the same thing).

According to this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Compaq-Presario-900-...

The right side of the computer toward the back, there is a 1394 port... does yours not have this? You will need a 4-pin to 4-pin firewire cable.

If so, then the right side (middle) looks to have a PCMCIA slot - so a Firewire card can be added:

http://shop2.frys.com/product/4098172;js...

You will need a 4-pin to 6-pin firewire cable.

Answer 4

do you have a usb?

casue those really help