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Cannot get PC to recognize Nikon s3300 camera.

Anonymous
2012-07-21T22:57:49+00:00

We just bought a Nikon s3300 camera and cannot get our PC to recognize it. Each time we try to install the software we get an error message telling us that we are missing a ptpusb.dll file, and that we should insert the original XP discs. We do not have these as the computer had XP already installed. I tried several of the free repair/recover programmes available but none worked. I also reloaded the latest sp3 for XP hoping that that would provide the missing file, but that did not work either.  Does anybody have any suggestions for solving this problem? I notice on the internet that this is not an uncommon issue with certain digital cameras and XP, but nowhere can I find anybody that seems to know the answer!!  

original title: ptpusb.dll missing

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2012-07-30T22:06:56+00:00

Ok here's what I found out - I discovered a lot of people who have had this same issue when trying to install a relatively new Digital Camera onto XP. I am by no means an expert but the common theme seems to be that either one of 2 dll files are required by the camera to work via the usb connection, and for some reason that I do not understand they are not readily recognizable or pre-installed when connecting for the first time. The files are ptbusb.dll and/or its sister file ptpusd.dll. According to several sites that I contacted, these files shoud by default be located in at least one of these locations - - c:\windows\system32 or \system32\dllcache or c:\windows\drivercache\i386. However, ptbusb.dll was not in any of these locations on the version of XP that I was working on, even after re-loading the SP3 pack and after searching all hidden files.

In the end I went to www.dll-files.com. This was one of the few sites I found that would just let me download a zip file with the file I wanted (with attached note file on how to install it and where), without having to sign up for some kind of fix program that ultimately I would have had to pay for.

I copied this file first to windows\system32 and didn't need to put it anywhere else, because having done this the camera was immediately recognized and the problem went away.

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-07-23T19:33:53+00:00

    Answers as follows:-

    Yes it is a Coolpix S3300. and the Computer does have an SD slot. In fact we used this to download the first batch of photos, as we could not download via the USB cable, so yes we do have the workaround available. It's just a little annoying that being short of one .dll file means we have to take the card out each time to move the photos!

    Haven't had a chance yet to investigate your other links suggested but will try in the next couple of days (The pc is actually at my Mother's house so I don't have access to it 24/7).

    However ref the Nikon link I did send a similar email to them about the problem and all I got back was that I should contact M'soft!

    I think there is an i386 directory in the c drive, but when I did a search on the c drive for the missing file it did not find it anywhere, although it did unearth a number of locations for ptpusd.dll???

    Finally the computer is an Emachine EL1300G-02W.

    Thanks for your assistance - I do appreciate it!

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-07-22T00:21:15+00:00

    The PC has always been set to install updates automatically, and I think SP3 may have already been on there but I downloaded it again just hoping that it might contain the missing file. 

    The software should install it.

    However, this is a Nikon Coolpix S3300, right?  Uses SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards?

    My recomendation is just to get a reader that will read the cards you buy to put in the camera and utilze the card reader to read the memory card and copy/move the pictures off manually.

    You might get the latest version of whatever software you are trying to install:

    http://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/61

    Since you don't have the Windows XP CD, this may not help:

    Description of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 System File Checker (Sfc.exe): http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310747

    Just because the computer already had XP installed doesn't automatically mean you wouldn't have an XP CD.  Do you have a i386 directory in C:?

    What is the make & model of the computer?

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-07-21T23:45:36+00:00

    The PC has always been set to install updates automatically, and I think SP3 may have already been on there but I downloaded it again just hoping that it might contain the missing file.

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-07-21T23:05:36+00:00

    We just bought a Nikon s3300 camera and cannot get our PC to recognize it. Each time we try to install the software we get an error message telling us that we are missing a ptpusb.dll file, and that we should insert the original XP discs. We do not have these as the computer had XP already installed. I tried several of the free repair/recover programmes available but none worked. I also reloaded the latest sp3 for XP hoping that that would provide the missing file, but that did not work either.  Does anybody have any suggestions for solving this problem? I notice on the internet that this is not an uncommon issue with certain digital cameras and XP, but nowhere can I find anybody that seems to know the answer!!  

    Wait - you just installed Windows XP Service Pack 3?

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