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How to use a USB flash drive with the iPad using the Camera Connection Kit

#1 User is offline   Bob Hodgen 

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Posted 05 June 2010 - 10:25 PM

Apple's iPad is a wonderful device. But it is limited in it's connectivity.

Using Apple's Camera Connection Kit it is possible to read generic USB flash drives and hard disks. Jail-breaking is not required. The iPad can only read compatible image and movie files.

1. Format your USB flash drive in FAT32 using the Disk Utility, Partition, "MSDOS (FAT)".

2. Create a folder called "DCIM" in the root directory of the flash drive. Put your images and movies in there.

3. When connected, the iPad thinks it's attached to a digital camera and can read image and movie files in the "DCIM" folder. An app opens which enables you to copy images and movies on to your iPad.

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#2 User is offline   Robert Hodgen 

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Posted 06 June 2010 - 10:45 PM

This likely works because most cameras show up as a mass storage device, the same thing your typical USB flash drive shows up as. I would suspect that a SD/CF card reader would also work hooked up to the iPad given the proper file type and directory structure.
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#3 Guest_Dalesipad_*

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Posted 12 December 2010 - 12:52 PM

View PostBob Hodgen, on 05 June 2010 - 10:25 PM, said:

Apple's iPad is a wonderful device. But it is limited in it's connectivity.

Using Apple's Camera Connection Kit it is possible to read generic USB flash drives and hard disks. Jail-breaking is not required. The iPad can only read compatible image and movie files.

1. Format your USB flash drive in FAT32 using the Disk Utility, Partition, "MSDOS (FAT)".

2. Create a folder called "DCIM" in the root directory of the flash drive. Put your images and movies in there.

3. When connected, the iPad thinks it's attached to a digital camera and can read image and movie files in the "DCIM" folder. An app opens which enables you to copy images and movies on to your iPad.

It keeps telling me there are no files to DOWNLOAD
what am I missing
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#4 Guest_Bob_*

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Posted 18 December 2010 - 10:38 PM

The iPad can only see some kinds of image and movie files.
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#5 Guest_Steve_*

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Posted 27 January 2011 - 12:59 PM

Worked Perfectly, nice one!!
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#6 Guest_dwight potts_*

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Posted 24 April 2011 - 09:43 PM

Do I format the flash drive from the ipad or my computer.
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#7 User is offline   Robert Hodgen 

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Posted 25 April 2011 - 10:04 AM

View Postdwight potts, on 24 April 2011 - 09:43 PM, said:

Do I format the flash drive from the ipad or my computer.

You'll need to do that from the computer.
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#8 Guest_pigpigman_*

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Posted 16 May 2011 - 10:55 PM

Sounds great! But how can I write my pages documents in my ipad into usb drive? Can i put a doc-format document into the usb drive using a pc and read it in my ipad in this method you mention?
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#9 Guest_WRL_*

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Posted 17 May 2011 - 11:08 AM

the ipad will download almost any file... whether it can use it or not is a different matter.

BUT the trick is the file name must be 8 characters (not counting the extension). if it contains more or less characters it will not be seen.

reminds me of the old days of DOS.
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#10 Guest_Batninja_*

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Posted 30 June 2011 - 04:08 PM

Well done on the 8 characters tip, I was struggling to get my ipad to see the files, as soon as I set the file name to 8 characters, it popped up instantly. Doesn't pickup the name when importing but thats ok. I'm copying movies to an 8gb card to go on holiday with, so ill leave a gig free on my 32 bg ipad and import a file in when i want to watch. (no space on the ipad due to the divx movies using AVPlayerHD!)
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#11 Guest_Bad Karma 1_*

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Posted 12 August 2011 - 12:54 PM

I keep getting the message that the device uses too much power. i did everything u mentioned here and yet i keep getting the message the device uses too much power. How do i go about this?
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#12 User is offline   Robert Hodgen 

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Posted 13 August 2011 - 01:40 PM

View PostBad Karma 1, on 12 August 2011 - 12:54 PM, said:

I keep getting the message that the device uses too much power. i did everything u mentioned here and yet i keep getting the message the device uses too much power. How do i go about this?

Try using a different flash drive, it probably pulls more than the iPad is willing to supply.
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#13 Guest_Calvin_*

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Posted 30 August 2011 - 06:37 AM

Hi I am thinking of getting an iPad camera connector kit. But before I purchased, I would like to know will I be able to browse my documents eg: words, PowerPoint, excel and PDF file on my thumb drive once connected? That's my main purpose. Cheers!
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#14 Guest_Steve_*

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Posted 13 October 2011 - 04:10 PM

Just come across this post and must say its been very helpful. However, my ipad2 sees the video files on my usb key, and allows them to be imported. But when I try to open them the content seems to have disappeared...????? Any clues much appreciated!! I've labelled all files with 8 characters etc. rgds Steve
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#15 Guest_Lizzy_*

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Posted 20 October 2011 - 05:18 AM

How do I format my camera con.kit Do I format on the commuter or I pad, and if it's on the iPad. How do I do. It
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#16 Guest_Bob_*

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Posted 19 November 2011 - 11:14 AM

I too did everything you said and also get the "requires too much power". Have tried all my thumb drives and all say the same thing. So what thumb drives will work on an iPad once you have it formatted to fat32 with a file named "DCIM"? None of the ones I own works, so which ones will? Thanks!
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#17 Guest_drb_*

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Posted 04 December 2011 - 01:54 PM

Hello, I put a DCIM folder in the Flash Drive but my iPad2 still says the "Device is to large to power" when I attempt to connect the flash drivve with the camera connector
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#18 Guest_llead12_*

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Posted 17 February 2012 - 01:29 AM

View PostWRL, on 17 May 2011 - 11:08 AM, said:

the ipad will download almost any file... whether it can use it or not is a different matter.

BUT the trick is the file name must be 8 characters (not counting the extension). if it contains more or less characters it will not be seen.

reminds me of the old days of DOS.

THANKS IT WORKS :D
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#19 Guest_legit_*

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Posted 25 February 2012 - 08:49 AM

It says there is too much power! How do I fix that?
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#20 Guest_khaula_*

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Posted 05 March 2012 - 07:18 AM

hi
i want to use usb of internet with my ipad wifi
is it there any cables for ipad?
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