There is a way to get around the timeout problem but it requires spending a few bucks. Buy a multi-format card reader that connects to the USB port on your computer. Take the card out of the camera and put it in the reader. The reader just looks like a disk drive to windows and you just do regular file copies to move the images to your hard disk. I use a Sandisk ImageMate 12 in 1 which reads most kinds of cards. It works great and no timeouts! It is currently about $35 at Staples. I am a software developer (consultant) so I have to be able to read almost anything.