Problem with Optio S/Computer recognition

I have a Pentax Optio S. I purchased the USB connector for it and it has worked fine, without any problems for months.

After coming back from taking some pictures the other day, I plugged the camera into the USB port and the computer displayed a message that there was a "power surge on the USB port", and would not recognize the camera at all.

I thought that there may have been a problem with the USB cable so I purchased a new one. The new cable produced the same "power surge" message. The cable aparently isn't the problem.

I have tried deleting and reinstalling the USB program into the computer, plugging the USB connector into one of the USB ports on the rear of the computer, and it still will not recognize the camera. (Note: I am no longer getting the "power surge" message)

Does anyone have a clue why this suddenly will not work anymore? I have not broken or changed a thing. (?!) Computer is a newer Dell with tons of memory.

Thanks in advance for your help.

I think it's Windows XP service pack 2. I can't find a solution either.

Now, you may think I'm not gonna be much help here....but hear me out. I've had my S for just over a year now and quite early on, I got similar problems to you when trying to connect my S to my PC (less than a year old c/w WinXP). I tried completely uninstalling'n'reinstalling the software, trying a diff USB port, etc but to no avail.

My solution (from advice received here) was to buy a card reader. In my case, I decided on a multicard reader in case I changed cameras in the future and I've never looked back.

IMO, a reader is a lot simplier to use than fiddling around with a cable - just remove the card, plug it in and away I go! I'm actually now considering a built in reader for my PC just to tidy up my workstation

Sorry this doesn't clear the problem but I hope it gives you an alternative option....
Robert

Card readers are now extremely cheap. If camera manufacturers had any sense they would omit USB connections altogether. Very few people use them, and when they do they often have problems. Get a card reader.

I am experiencing a very simialr problem, i bought a Optico S40 not very long ago at all (definately no longer than a month!) and today i was a a gig taking photo's and loading them onto a laptop fine as, then i went away and took a few more pics and went to load them on to the laptop and i plugged it all in and nuthin happened, usually on my PC and Laptop it comes up as a removeable hardware device or USB mass storage device, (dont ask me why, thats just what XP does automatically and it seemed to work fine!) SO nehu, i went home and tryed it on my pc, when i plugged it into the USB ports on the front of my PC, it turned my PC off as if someone had flicked the switch at the wall, but i could plug other USB devices in on the front and they worked fine, and when i plug it in on the back the same thing happens as it did on the laptop - NOTHING. - I know that all the USB ports work fine as i have a MP3 player which can plug in Via USB to have songs loaded on to it and it works fine.

It's just really frustrating because its a very very new camera!!!