10yr+ old Canon PowerShot S20 + W7 x86 SP1  

Hi,

I have been using a PowerShot S20 (on and off) for many, many years. Canon offers drivers for Windows 2000 and XP, but not for Vista/7.
However, up until a little while ago, I was able to use the camera with Windows 7 without any issues - it got recognized automatically, and a driver was provided automatically.

This was pre-SP1 however.
I don't know if SP1 is the reason, but I'm fairly positive.
Ive recently set up a new system with w7 x86, and then upgraded to sp1 via download.
(I had not plugged in the camera before applying the sp1 update, but as I said, I had it working on that same machine using w7 before).

The camera gets recognized, but the driver agent tells me there is no driver available for it. So, best I can figure, Microsoft dropped the support for this age-old device with its SP1 update, or with some other update. Understandably? maybe. Annoying? You bet.
It's not so much that I still rely on the camera - I dont - but it's perfectly good hardware that Im not willing to throw away just because MS decides its too old..

SO..
Any ideas on where I might get a working driver, since clearly a working W7 driver solution EXISTS?

(I have of course checked the Canon website, the latest driver software they offer is for WXP, and while that one IS installable on my system, it does not allow access to the images on the camera. (Trying to access via twain results in error or crash (tried with gimp, irfanview, paint shop..), also the preview thumbnails that are usually present in the import window are big red X's).
The Windows Image Acquisition dialog is not triggered when I plug in the camera, so I cant access the images that way, either.

PS: I have checked on a WXP system, the camera is 100% operational, I can preview and download the images on that system without any problems.

thanks for any help..

I have never needed or loaded a driver for a camera from Windows 2000 on. You should be able to plug the camera in and see the memory card like a flash drive. If not, check if your camera has a setting for "disk mode".

Barman58: That's an excellent idea, I will look into that!

DeaconFrost: You over-estimate the capabilities of this ancient cam (It doesnt have any options for that, unfortunately)

I prefer card readers myself, because the camera, nor it's battery, are used or needed to get photos off the cards. But I still haven't ever encountered a digital camera that needed drivers to access it's included memory card.