Welcome to Just Ask Matt! Today, (lost the name, sorry) writes:

I take about 100 pictures a day for my wife’s job. I download the pictures (usually 500-600k per picture) onto my laptop (P4 2.8, OS-xp home, Wireless G network [linksys]).

After examining the photos using either MS Photo viewer or Picture It, I rename the photos using MS Picture It 7 and I send the pictures wirelessly to an external USB 2.0 hard drive which is hooked to a computer that is wired to the network (this computer is P3 500, OS-xp home). The photos transfer seamlessly.

Now, the problem, if I want to look at the pictures on the USB hard drive from my wireless laptop, I crash the programs trying to access the photos - Windows Explorer, Picture It, and Power Desk.

Do you have any idea why the programs can’t wirelessly access the photos? I don’t have the same problems when I am looking for other documents, just the photos.

First off, I am just taking a stab in the dark here mainly because I am not able to totally duplicate the problem here (being I do not have my camera here with me). Anyway, I have a couple of thoughts that come to mind.

My first real guess is that something is going wonky with the permissions of those files. However unlikely, you might want to investigate this to see if you have some sort of permissions issue that may be causing this.

The other thing I am wondering is why it will see them, but not let you open them. I tried this with both programs using JPGs and had no problem with my own external USB hard drive being accessed via my notebook using Wi-Fi.

So, long story short, I am really not all that sure. If any of the readers have some ideas, we are both all ears. If, by some long shot I am correct on this and it is permissions, then killer-diller!

Do you have an IT-related question? Perhaps you are just burnt out on writing on the walls with crayons? Whatever the comments may be, drop me a line, and you too can “Just Ask Matt!”