Digital camera not connecting via USB - why?

I have a Nikon Coolpics digital camera which was working fine until yesterday when i connected it via the USB and switched it on and my pc didn't seem to register that it was connected, also couldn't find the device in my computer, any suggestions?

Thanks

The error indicates that the computer is not getting an understandable signal from the camera (or dock if you are using one). The solution will be in discovering why the signal isn't getting through, or deciding that the camera or dock is defective.

Verify that the camera battery is charged. Then turn all devices (computer, dock and camera) off. Remove every cable and wire between computer and camera. Unplug power to the dock.

Examine each connection carefully. Look for dirt, bent pins, loose connections, or anything "strange". Look at the bottom of camera too, where it sits on the dock.

Reconnect the wires and cables, power everything up and see if any improvement.

If no improvement and you have WinXP or Vista, Do a System Restore back to a date when the camera connection was working. Restart and check for improvement.

If no improvement, check computer update history. Have any Microsoft updates been applied since the last time the camera connection worked? If so back them off and check for improvement.

If no improvement or no MS updates, decide that the camera or dock are defective and return them. Unfortunately, electronics sometimes fail. If you like the camera, give a replacement a chance.

Take the memory card out of the camera and copy the pics through a card reader.

Good Luck

When you say you are connecting it to the USB, is that a USB port directly on your computer, or do you have a USB hub which allows you to connect a variety of USB devices? If you are using a hub, especially a non-powered hub you can run into issues where a port is dead. In these cases plug in your camera and restart your computer. If you are not using a hub but indeed plugging directly into your computer, then my suggestion is to test the USB port which is in question. Assuming you have a USB printer or another USB device connect it to that port. If it works you can rule out that port as problem and you can focus directly on the camera itself.

Check the settings of your digital cam. Go to setup of your cam and check the USB mode setting. If you want to use it as a web cam, switch the USB mode to webcam. If you are planning to read or transfer pics to your pc, change the setting to DSC.