Problem with my digital camera card reader...
 

In my computer (and my monitor) I have one of those multi-card readers for digital cameras and such. There are five or six different slots for you to slide in your memory card. I have a Elf I think... anyway, I put the memory card in the slot on the monitor and the computer and for some reason whenever I try to access the drive in "My Computer", it tells me to insert the card. My computer doesn't seem to realize I have a card in there?

Any ideas?

Some times the card readers ( even embeded) need drivers. My printer an EPSON R300 has also card readers and an USB port. The readers work fine but the USB needs special setup.
I think is not possible for card readers to comunicate via standard VGA cable. Try to find any other connection at the back of your monitor, an USB or DVI. Also read carefully the manual to be sure that your reader is active on your model. If everything is OK try to change USB port ( if exists)
The last you can do is searching for known issues in manufacturer website.

I've never downloaded photos that way. My cameras have always come with software that does it the USB way. I just plug the cable into my camera, set the camera to "connect/download" mode, then plug the other end of the USB cable into the usb port on the computer. Turn camera on.

Open the software, and in seconds all the photos are off the camera's card and onto the computer. Then there's another thing you have to click on in order to safely disconnect the camera from the computer, and that's that.

It doesn't help your card reader problem, but doing it another way (the USB way) might be the better solution.