Help! Can't download images into Bridge

For some reason I can't transfer images from my card into Bridge anymore.

I hit File > Get Photos From Camera and the dialogue box comes up, but it gets stuck on "Loading Device List... Please Wait"

At that point the only thing I can do is use Task Manager to close the program. It used to work fine, but a couple months ago it stopped and its driving me nuts having to manually copy the files off the card.

I have tried connecting the camera, using a card reader, and not connecting anything and it still freezes.

Google search doesn't really lead to any remedies. Halp!!

That sounds odd -- when you have the card in a reader, can you open the folder(s) using your file browser? Oh, and what OS are you using? And, USB?

Maybe try a different reader, try a different card, try a different I/O port...?

Im on Windows 7 64 bit.

I can open up the card through the file browser just fine. I really liked the photo downloader because it organized the photos into folders by date. I dont understand why it just quit working all of a sudden.

Have you tried re-booting the computer then trying again? It sounds like Bridge is having a problem communicating through Windows with the card reader for some reason.

I also tried resetting preferences in Bridge by holding 'ctrl' while opening the application.

stsva wrote in post #11022452
Have you tried re-booting the computer then trying again? Assuming a Windows machine, is the card reader showing up in My Computer as an external drive after you insert the card?

I have tried rebooting many times. The card reader does show up in 'My Computer' and I can access the files just fine.

I also tried reformatting the card, but the downloader freezes even when nothing is connected to the computer.

No clue -- what version of CS are you using?

CS4

Card readers can get buggie... Sometimes you need to disconnect the card reader from the motherboard, then reboot, shut down the computer, reconnect the card reader and restart.

ChasP505 wrote in post #11025041
Card reader can get buggie... Sometimes you need to disconnect the card reader from the motherboard, then reboot, shut down the computer, reconnect the card reader and restart.

Its a laptop so Im not really going to take it apart, but it hangs up when no devices are connected via usb. It does have a built in SD card reader but I've never used it.

chris jones wrote in post #11025074
...It does have a built in SD card reader but I've never used it.

So you've been using an external card reader to download your image files when your laptop already had one?

chris jones wrote in post #11025074
Its a laptop so Im not really going to take it apart, but it hangs up when no devices are connected via usb. It does have a built in SD card reader but I've never used it.

Is it the laptop that is hanging or Photoshop itself?

ChasP505 wrote in post #11025206
So you've been using an external card reader to download your image files when your laptop already had one?

I dont use SD cards, I have CF. I used to connect to my camera before it stopped working.

tonylong wrote in post #11025970
Is it the laptop that is hanging or Photoshop itself?

Its not photoshop or bridge, just the photo downloader dialogue box that freezes.

Did you format the card in the camera or in the computer? And are there any other USB devices plugged in that Bridge's card reader routine might try to read first?

I format the card in the camera. No other USB devices attached.

Thanks for the suggestions so far.. keep em coming.