Can't transfer photos via cable to laptop

Hi, I hope someone can help.

I want to transfer photos from my D3400 camera to a Windows laptop and have connected them via a USB cable (non Nikon), but the laptop doesn't recognise the connection. Is there a setting in the camera I need to set? I've tried a different laptop and a different cable and it still doesn't work.

I have a Fuji bridge camera (with different type of USB cable, but Fuji) and as soon as I connect it to my laptop it connects and I can view and copy and paste photos from Explorer.

Thanks in anticipation.

some of those cables only handle power for charging, not data

and

some cameras give you a choice of 2 usb protocols: disk drive, or device

Make sure your cable can do data. Try it on your phone or something.
You say you tried another laptop, so I don't have high hopes, but you could try this:
https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-refresh-usb-ports

It should be pretty much the same in windows 8 or 10.

My old windows 7 laptop was a pain connecting new usb devices. It never saw many things I needed to connect. Not sure is it was win 7 or just my particular machine. I had to reset the ports a lot.

If all else fails you could try this Nikon program and see if it will find the camera.

Nikon | Download center | ViewNX 2

I think that you need Nikon Drivers for the connection to work and for Windows to recognized NEF files.

As suggested the best method is to install View NX (2 or i). Then the computer will recognize both the USB as well as NEF files.

By the way, what happened to the USB cable that comes with the Camera?

Forgive me if I ask basic questions, you didn't give us much to go on.

Windows 10? (same with 8) if your running Vista... you are beyond my help! (just kidding)

I have never had to change any camera settings when downloading images. Is this camera new to you.

With camera turned off, connect cord to camera, connect cord to computer, turn on camera, wait, any notification?
Go to File Explorer (Little icon that looks like a folder) when you open it do you see your camera on the tree (should be on the left of the screen. It might say D3400)?

If you see the camera then you are in business. I think I can walk you through it from there. Let us know and we can move on from there.

On mine at least, it will recognize jpegs and you should see the thumbnails. NEFs will still download but you cant open them with Windows, you just see the file icon. You might hold off on installing any new software until we see why the computer doesn't recognize the camera. Unless those two pieces are talking to each other, I dont think it matters what kind of software you have (for images)

Perhaps all the others have been correct and its just that the cord you are using is wrong.

Thanks Aroy. I installed the Nikon software on one of the laptops and it still didn't connect. They don't provide a USB cable with the camera as standard (UK). I'll get a data cable.

Fantastic; all I needed was to use was a data cable. I didn't know I had so many non-data USB ones! Thanks for all your help and advice.

duncanda said:

Fantastic; all I needed was to use was a data cable. I didn't know I had so many non-data USB ones! Thanks for all your help and advice.

Click to expand...

Glad you got it to work. Have you considered getting a memory card reader? It will save wear and tear on your Nikon. Simply remove the memory card(s) and insert into the card reader. Always reformat cards in camera though. Just a suggestion for down the road....

Thanks for advice Hark. Laptop can take the memory card directly.