the battery won't charge from the computer

[DeniseatLB]

I cannot seem to charge my battery (completely flat) from the computer. Please can you help?

Thanks

[Mick2011]

Hi Denise

You don't mention which camera you're trying to charge, but it is sometimes possible to charge smaller cameras via USB. This is due to the relatively low capacity of batteries in smaller devices, like phones and iPods. Bigger cameras (and all DSLRs) use high-capacity lithium batteries that are basically usuitable for USB charging, so the device will be programmed not to charge this way.

Even if you're normally able to charge your camera using USB, it may still refuse to charge if the battery is fully depleted. This is because the camera and PC need to communicate to establish whether the camera is programmed to accept USB charging, and if the camera has no charge to power up, it can't communicate.

So I'm guessing you could be in that 'catch-22' situation. The only solution in this case is to use an AC adaptor or battery charger.

Hope that helps explain the issue, even if it doesn't charge your camera

Cheers

Mick