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Why Won’t My Pictures Import to My Computer & How To Fix It

Robust third-party tools are a fast and reliable photo import solution

9 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

If your photo import is not working on Windows 10, here is all the information you should have.

Ever since Windows 10 was launched, users encounteredissues when trying to import photosfrom their external devices (camera, phones) to their computers.

Microsoft’s forum is flooded with user complaints regarding these issues, but it seems Microsoft did not hurry to find a solution.

When Windows 10 users try to import photos from, let’s say, their camera to their laptop, various error messages may appear on the screen:An error has occurred while attempting to import. Either the source is unavailable or the destination is full or read-onlyorSomething went wrong. Try again or cancel.

Why won’t my computer let me import photos?

Transferring photos to your computer should be easy, but you may run into complications once in a while. These could be for different reasons.

Here are a few causes:

Note that when an import can not be completed, there are different messages you may get on your computer, including:

Without further ado, let’s just jump right in!

What can I do if my PC won’t import photos?

1. Change your security settings

2. Restore default settings for the Pictures folder

This very intuitive solution can be easily done in a few clicks and potentially fix your photo import not working issue on Windows 10.

Locate thePicturesdirectory, right-click it and choosePropertiesfrom the menu.
Go to theLocationtab and clickRestore Default.
Now, click onApplyandOKto save changes.

After that, your Pictures directory will be restored to its default location, and the problem with photo importing should be resolved.

Several users reported fixing the issue simply by restoring the default Windows 10 photo import settings.

3. Use specialized photo management software

If you’re having photo importing issues on your PC, you might be able to solve the problem by using third-party applications.

Many great applications allow you to manage your photos, butACDSee Photo Editor,Photo Manager DeluxeandAdobe Bridgestand out.

All applications offer a simple-to-use and friendly interface, and you should be able to import your photos without any problems.

Adobe Bridge is a powerful asset manager that lets you preview, manage, modify and publish multiple assets easily, plus it imports photos from devices flawlessly.

You can also import pics from Adobe Stock and various libraries since the Bridge integrates seamlessly with these apps.

Needless to say, you will enjoy a wide range of additional features that will come in handy, like organization tools, filters, and search options.

4. Check your camera settings

If photo import is not working on Windows 10, the issue might be your camera settings. Check your camera settings if you’re trying to import pictures from yourcamera.

According to users, if your USB connection settings are set toAutoon your camera, you won’t be able to transfer your photos.

To fix the problem, open your camera settings and make sure to chooseMTPorPTPmode before trying to import your photos.

This issue also affects your phone, so be sure to set the connection method to MTP or PTP on your phone before you try to import pictures.

5. Check your antivirus

Your antivirus is a crucial component of your operating system since it will keep yousafe from malware, but your antivirus can also cause photo importing issues to appear.

All cameras and phones connect to a PC via USB cable, and many antivirus tools will block USB devices by default to prevent malware from spreading.

However, sometimes this feature can prevent you from importing photos to your PC, and to fix the problem, you need to check your antivirus settings.

Several users recommend disabling your firewall during photo import, while others suggest allowingRuntime Brokerto go through your firewall.

If that doesn’t work, you might be able to fix the problem simply by disabling your antivirus. If you can’t find the feature blocking photo import, temporarily disabling your antivirus is the second-best option.We’ve got a dedicated guide onremoving it from your PC for Norton users.

In some cases, the issue might persist. As a result, you might have to uninstall your antivirus entirely. After uninstalling the antivirus, check if the problem is resolved.

If removing the antivirus solves the problem, you might consider switching to a different antivirus solution.

Whether you’re considering uninstalling your current antivirus software or not, look into thebest uninstaller softwareavailable.

6. Manually transfer your photos

This is just a workaround, but if the photo importing feature isn’t working on your PC for some reason, be sure to try this method. This method might not be as straightforward as photo importing, but it will work.

7. Connect your SD card to a card reader

This is another workaround that might help you with photo importing issues. Insert the SD card or microSD card into acard reader.

After that, right-click the new drive on your PC that represents your SD card and chooseAutoplay. Now you should be able to import photos.

This is a workaround since you’ll have to remove your SD card and connect it to a card reader whenever you want to transfer photos from your camera or phone.

Many users reported that it works, so feel free to try it out.

8. Try running the Photos app as an administrator

Ifnothing happens when you click onRun as administrator, check out one of our solutions.

If running the application as an administrator fixes the problem, you might want to set the application always to use administrative rights.

After that, your photo importing application will always run with administrative privileges, and you won’t experience any issues.

How do I import photos with Windows 10?

This is a native photo importer feature for Windows 10.

Many users have askedwhy won’t my pictures import to my computer. One of the solutions above will help you import your photos on Windows 10. So if your photo import is not working on Windows 10, we are confident it should now be fixed.

Remember that we have not made this list in any particular order, and you should pick and choose what solutions feel more appropriate for your case.

For more information, check out how to fixWindows 10 Photo Viewer not workingwith five expert solutions.

If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below, and we’ll be sure to check them out.

Why Won’t My Pictures Import to My Computer & How To Fix It#

Why won’t my computer let me import photos?#

What can I do if my PC won’t import photos?#

1. Change your security settings#

2. Restore default settings for the Pictures folder#

3. Use specialized photo management software#

4. Check your camera settings#

5. Check your antivirus#

6. Manually transfer your photos#

7. Connect your SD card to a card reader#

8. Try running the Photos app as an administrator#

How do I import photos with Windows 10?#