Connecting Camera and Accessing Photos

Saul Robles Padilla 0 Reputation points
2026-08-17T02:04:35.01+00:00

Hi,

I would like to see how I can access my photos when I connect my camera.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Music, photos, and video

2 answers

Sort by: Oldest
Most helpful Newest Oldest

  1. AI answer

    2026-08-17T02:04:43.9733333+00:00

    To access photos after connecting a camera or phone to a Windows PC:

    1. Connect the device with a USB cable that supports file transfer.
    2. Turn on and unlock the device. Windows may not detect it if it is locked.
    3. On the PC, open the Photos app.
    4. Select Import > connected device.
    5. Follow the prompts to choose the photos to import and where to save them.

    If import does not work with an Android device, change the phone’s USB mode from Charging over USB to Transfer Files or Transfer Photos.

    If using Photos Legacy instead of the newer Photos app:

    1. Open Photos Legacy.
    2. Select Import > From a connected device.
    3. Follow the instructions to import the items.

    If the goal is only to view photos already on the PC in Photos Legacy, it shows pictures from the Pictures folder by default. To add another location, open Folders and select Add a folder.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

  2. Clary-N 16,010 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-08-17T06:34:56.4433333+00:00

    Hi Saul Robles Padilla,

    Thank you for your post.

    The AI Answer has already provided the standard steps for importing photos. If those steps are not helping, could you check whether the camera appears under This PC in File Explorer? If it does, try opening the device and looking for a DCIM folder or other photo storage folder to see whether the photos are accessible directly.

    If the camera does not appear in File Explorer, try a different USB cable or USB port, as some cables support charging only and do not allow data transfer.

    Also, to help determine whether any version-specific guidance may apply, could you let me know which version of Windows you're using? You can check by pressing Windows + R, typing winver and sharing a screenshot of the results. Additionally, please let me know the make and model of the camera.

    If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.