Introduction

This guide shows you how to import pictures from your digital camera to Windows Photo Gallery for Windows Vista. You don’t need the bulky software that comes with your digital camera. Windows Vista will import the pictures for you as long as it finds the drivers for the camera when you plug it in for the first time.

Import Pictures

1. Plug your digital camera into your computer. Most digital cameras use a USB cable.
2. Turn your digital camera on and change its mode to enable it to be accessed by your computer if need be. See your digital camera’s manual if you need help with this.
3. If this is the first time your digital camera has been plugged in your computer drivers will need to be installed. Windows Vista will do this automatically for you.
4. An Auto Play window will pop-up asking you what to do. Since we’re importing picture from the digital camera lets select Import Pictures.

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   Note: If you don’t want the auto play window to pop-up every time you plug in your digital camera check off Always do this for pictures before you click Import Pictures in the Auto Play window.

5. Before Windows Vista imports the pictures it lets you tag them. Think of tagging as associating a word like beach or sunset with the pictures. The tag you give the pictures that are about to be imported will be included in the name of the pictures by default. You can always add more tags to each picture after it’s imported.

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   Note: You can change import settings by clicking Options. I’ll explain the import settings later in this guide.

6. Click Import and Windows Vista will start importing the pictures from your digital camera to your computer.

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   Check off Erase after importing to erase the photos from your digital camera after Windows Vista imports them.

Import Settings

You can change the import settings by clicking Options in the Import Pictures and Video window.

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Import to: Change the location the digital pictures will be saved when imported.

Folder name: Change how the folder the imported pictures will be imported to will be named.

File name: Change how the importer gives each imported picture its name.

An example of all the settings above will show up next to Example.

There are a few other options you can change but I think they speak for themselves and don’t need any explanation.