Instead of draining all of your camera's battery and taking up more charging time, you can purchase a USB card reader for your computer that will read and upload your media card. USB card readers are powered directly from the computer, making them travel-sized and easy to situate on your computer desk. Using the card reader is easy, and after following a set of simple steps, you will know how to use your card reader every time.
Step 1
Install the USB card reader. The easiest way to do this is by plugging the reader into your USB and letting the computer process and install the device on its own. If the computer does not recognize and install the card reader then manually install it by inserting the driver CD and following the step-by-step directions.
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Step 2
Plug a media card into the card reader. Some card readers are universal and feature multiple slots that can read almost any type of card, but others cater to one specific type of card. Make sure you are using the correct card each time you use the USB card reader.
Step 3
Watch as a light flashes and the card reader reads the data. A window should automatically pop up with options, but if it does not you need to go to "My Computer." Once in "My Computer," look for the USB card reader. It should say something like "Removable Disc" or "Flash Drive." It will also be assigned a drive letter that could be anything like "E:" or "G:".
Step 4
Double-click on the drive once you have found the correct location. A new window should pop up, showing the contents of the media card. From here, you can open files, copy and paste files, or add more files to the media card.
Step 5
Right-click on the drive and select "Properties" to find out how much space is available on the media card. A pie graph will indicate the space taken up vs. the available space.
Step 6
Format the media by right-clicking on the drive in "My Computer" and selecting the "Format" option. Perform a "Quick Format" to erase everything on the card.
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