Canon powershot A3100 - computer says can't find camera connected when I try to download pictures but it is attached and cords connections are good. Can't find a solution. Re-downloaded software and still no change.

Have you considered NOT connecting your camera to your computer? The best way to download pictures from your camera to your computer involves removing the memory card from the camera and plugging it into a card reader (either built-in to the computer or connected via USB or FireWire). This is likely to be faster than connecting the camera to the computer, and won't run down your camera's batteries.

Once the card is plugged in, it will appear to your computer as a removable drive. You can use the operating system's drag&drop facility to copy pictures from the card to the computer's hard drive, the same way you copy any other files. Or you can use any photo cataloging program. Have you considered NOT connecting your camera to your computer? The best way to download pictures from your camera to your computer involves removing the memory card from the camera and plugging it into a card reader (either built-in to the computer or connected via USB or FireWire). This is likely to be faster than connecting the camera to the computer, and won't run down your camera's batteries. Once the card is plugged in, it will appear to your computer as a removable drive. You can use the operating system's drag&drop facility to copy pictures from the card to the computer's hard drive, the same way you copy any other files. Or you can use any photo cataloging program.

Thanks everyone - all good advice. I called tech support and found on my PC, under device manager, the canon device had a negative sign next to it. So the driver wasn't loaded. Don't quite know what happened to it. Deleted this, opened the camera and it automatically reloaded the driver. Problem solved.

Didn't know about the other method for downloading pix. Will look into it. Thanks a bunch! Thanks everyone - all good advice. I called tech support and found on my PC, under device manager, the canon device had a negative sign next to it. So the driver wasn't loaded. Don't quite know what happened to it. Deleted this, opened the camera and it automatically reloaded the driver. Problem solved. Didn't know about the other method for downloading pix. Will look into it. Thanks a bunch!