Update: the IXUS 400 is getting quite old and if you’re looking to update it I recommend the Canon IXUS 95, it’s pretty close to the IXUS 400, but much better. If you’re looking to move up to a digital SLR camera I’ve since got a Nikon D40X that I can also recommend.
The day after Holly was born my Canon IXUS 400 camera started giving a ‘Memory card error’ and refused to save anything to the compact flash card. I assumed that this meant that there was an error with the memory card so I bought a brand new one and was slightly cheesed off when the IXUS gave the same ‘Memory card error’ message after installing it.
A bit of googling revealed that a number of people have had this error with the Canon IXUS s3 and that the problem was solved by opening the case and removing the internal battery. The specs of the IXUS 400 are similar to that of the S3 and the chassis are practically identical, so I guessed they may well share a fair few components, and therefore problems. I was not that keen on the idea of doing this however until I discovered that Canon wanted to charge me nearly £100 to fix it (including the cost of postage).
It seems a bit cheeky asking for that amount of money to fix a problem that is effectively a design flaw, so I went for the DIY option and it seems to have worked, I have only taken about 20 photos, but as the camera would not allow any to be taken before, this is a significant improvement!
For anyone wanting to do the same here are some photos of what to look for. This one is the back of the camera with the case taken off.
And this one is of the front of the camera. The battery is under the circled bit of metal film which was stuck down and had to be peeled off to get to the battery which is mounted in a clip just underneath.
The battery popped out really easily with a small flat screwdriver. I put the battery back in, put the camera back together and the camera worked (I had to format the memory card first).
Some tips if you are going to try this:
- Have a very small flat and cross head screwdriver.
- Make a note of where the screws came from, many are different lengths.
- Remember which order the body panels and parts came off.
Don’t attempt this if you are not confident in doing so, if you break your camera it is entirely your fault, and this will probably invalidate your warranty (mine had expired already). This whole experience has shaken my confidence in Canon cameras, I will be looking at alternative makes for my next purchase.
Will writes 
wow, great fix.
it worked a treat the second time, leaving the battery out for a hour does appear to be a crucial part of the process.
enjoying the rather unfamiliar sense of having fixed something now,
thanks again.
When I did this I left it out for a few minutes maximum, however there probably isn’t much harm in leaving it out for longer. I had taken the other battery out aswell, this might have made a difference.
If you want to test to see if the fix has worked before putting the camera back together you need to make sure the compact flash access flap is held closed, there s a small switch the this activates and the camera can’t be turned on with the flap open.
Also, it is entirely possible that this error might re-occur in the future, so be careful!
Brilliant , superb fix. I left the battery out for 10 minutes and it works fine. Shame Canon clealy haven’t considered a free fix for their own design fault. This will make me think twice about buying another Canon product
Will, thanks for the information. Found your site from google. Had the same problem – Memory Card Error. Tried a different memory card and got the same message. The camera is out of warranty so I thought I’d give it a go. It worked! Took the internal battery out for just a few minutes, reassembled and worked first time. Thanks for the valuable advice.
Does anyone know where to purchase a new battery. After market.
In the UK you could try rs
Will,
Would you like to send me your email address? I’d send an open source project description for which we need a Rails developer. It’s has non-profit funding.
Thanks,
Don
Anyone know if this will work on a CanonPowershot S3 IS as I have the Memory Card Error message? ..ggrrrr
Thanks
J
excellent fix. worked a treat on an ixus 400
My IXUS 400 showed the same fault after three years.
I followed your fix advice and the camera now works again.
Thanks.
Huw Roberts, Caernarfon, Wales
Thanks for your help. Now stuck with two IXUSs. Bought another few weeks back. Waste!
Really great fix!
I Followed your advise and now it works fine again!
Left the battery out for several minutes.
A big result for a little amount of effort.
Thanks,
Godfried (Netherlands)
It’s works again!
Thanks for the fix.
For anyone wishing to do this make sure you make a note of where each screw goes as there are 3 different lengths of screws.
Thanks
Pete (UK)
Have had this intermittently with Canon PowerShot (Ixus) S400, became permanent at the weekend.
Found another solution on different forum: open the CF door and depress the small black door sensor button (above the memory card) as far in as it goes with a straightened paperclip for 3 seconds (camera switched off). It apparently performs some sort of reset ? on number of photos taken and camera now works fine again.
Thanks for the tip! This worked like a charm.
Just bought an IXY 400 off ebay that I thought was in perfect working order, as described, and was shocked to get the “Memory Card Error” message when I switched it on.
Followed your advice, and it worked!
Thanks a lot
Hello.
mine is also ixus 400.
It worked very well. but since last month, there has been toooo many memory card error. so I bought new memory card, 1 giga scan disk from Staples. It worked well at first time…
But…after several days. still “memory card error”
I did the same process as pushing black button inside CF door. but still in bad.. is there anyone who can help me?
I want to throw it away…real…..
I have no idea about the CF Door button fix. If you are brave enough you could try taking the internal battery out as I describe in the post. Of course it could be that the issue with your camera is not a firmware problem but something else in which case this fix may not work for you.
I am going to try the same trick on my IXUS 400. One question, what happens to the photos already in camera. Do I loose them once the camera is reset? Thanks for reply.
Dave, take the CF card out before you start the procedure (as I did) and the photos on the CF card will be fine. Of course if the camera has written any bad data to the CF card already this isn’t going to help but unfortunatly I had already tried formatting my CF card before I took the internal battery out so couldn’t check wether this was the case.
If you are at all worried you could get a CF card reader, they start from nearly £9, to backup your photos, but personally I wouldn’t bother.
Thanks, I will try and let you know.
I got this memory card error too on my ixus 400,took battery off myself although i was not that keen on it,i m not technical at all and it worked.It did it another time and removed battery again with same success.Hope it won t keep doin it.Do you people think that changing the inside battery would be of use ?and if yes ,where can it be puchased from?
Thanks so much Will and others for your helpful info.
Here’s where i found very useful (free) Camera Repair Manual download(s),
with simple extruded diagram of casing and interior.
Good if little bits fall out unexpectedly or screws gets mixed up:
http://home19.inet.tele.dk/ne/manualer.htm
The S400 is a paragraph or two down, listed with the powershot as:
Canon PowerShot S400/DIGITAL IXUS 400/IXY DIGITAL 400 Parts Catalog
Canon PowerShot S45 Parts Catalog
A couple of additional notes, from my experience, i don’t think the back casing needs to be unscrewed, as it’s only the front which needs to be removed. Could save time and help retain some stability.
I would suggest a ‘drop sheet’ made of white paper, on which you draw a rough diagram of the casing, front, bottom and sides, and then loosely tape the appropriate screws next to their alloted place when you remove them.
Sounds excessive i know, but may save you spending half hour trying to screw the wrong ones into too short holes as i did, even after i thought i’d carefully noted where each one went.
Be careful to correctly replace the compact flash access flap, with the little hair wire in place or it won’t open fully.
Happy snaps.
great fix , thanks.
but …… when re-assembling the covers , its very important to ensure that the position of the sliding switch on the back cover that controls image review/picture taking modes corresponds to the position of the tiny plastic slider inside.
i.e. if the sliding switch is set to review mode , then the little slider inside must also be set to that mode ( left position).
otherwise when the camera has been reassembled , the sliding switch wont work properly ( it wont ‘click’ into position and may break the little black slider that it operates.)
Its really a great fix. Thanx for putting all of us wise. I think canon people do not have the idea of this fix. Please put them wise as well.
I have had this problem occurring repeatedly. The solution I found is related to a sensor switch by the door for the memory, to quote:
”
I just like everyone who has had this memory card error problem have cursed Canon and sworn never to buy there products again. In fact I posted a pretty grim picture of my experience on Amazon’s review site for the IXUS 400. Anyway Canon should be pretty embarrassed with their support staff because we have had nothing from them. It was just by chance that I was able to get my IXUS working again.. Right the solution is pretty difficult to follow..so bear with me.
Step1, Open the CF door on your IXUS.
Step2. locate a tiny button at the top corner on the inside of the camera. (Its just above the slot for the memory card. No need to remove the card while doing this)
Step 3, find a pen/pencil or an instrument that has a long point e.g a straightened paperclip.. and use it to push the tiny button in the camera. (Push it all the way but not too hard lest you might damage it)
Step 4. Close the CF door and switch on the camera..
Voila.. sometimes you have to do this a number of times before it works.. but work, it will!!”
http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=57558&forum_id=15&page=4
your info is only thing out there I can find on this Canon problem. My daughter has an IXUS 50 which has worked fine with it’s original memory card. Made the mistake of buying her present of a 1GB card. Installed it immeidately got Memord Card Error. Put original card back in and got same message. Neither work now. Read your instructions and took camera apart but as is different model cannot find battery. Also cannot find reset button which is described as an alternative. Any suggestions? Was the internal battery very easy to locate and remove on your model? Is it a small round silver disk type battery? Thanks for any help you can give. Next move is to take to Canon Repair centre.
One additional thing to note…it is quite difficult to put the memory card in i.e. needs a fair bit of pressure to make it go in and click into place.
canon has an official reply for this error and are offering free repair regardless of age of camera and will also reimburse people who have paid for this repair previously.
its case id 45929
if you are not brave enough to take it apart that is!
Will this battery removal work for the Ixus 800is? Same memory card problem and bought it from Japan off ebay so no warranty.
THanks alot, saved me a fair effort.
I have an ixus 800is. It takes between 20-30 photos before the “memory card error” appears. I have a 1gb memory card so should take 300+ photos. By doing this fix, will I get more photos, or is this fix for those cameras that take no photos at all? /thanks
It sounds like you might have a faulty memory card, but I can’t be sure. The problem I had stopped any photos getting saved to the camera at all.
Great fix, thanks for publishing, shame Canon hasn’t. Last time I buy one of their products.
Canon will repair the camera free of charge. Simply send it to one of their agents. I sent mine off to Colchester Cameras and it was returned within 3 days fixed as a Special Warantity repair. I had removed and refitted the battery 3 times then I found the message on the Cannon website saying they would pay for the repair
https://self-service-kb.canon-europe.com/
Servicing
If it is determined by a Canon Repair facility that your Digital IXUS 400 camera is exhibiting the CF Card communication problem that has been identified, the camera will be repaired free of charge, regardless of
whether the camera is still under warranty. In addition, a refund of a previously paid repair fee will be made if it is determined by the Canon Repair facility that the repair of your Digital IXUS 400 was prompted by the
CF Card communication problem that has been identified.
Please contact the Canon Repair Facility that performed the repair at that time, for further information.
Yes!! This worked for my PowerShot S200 as well!!
Thanks for the great fix!
Hi,
im getting the same error on my Canon Powershot S80 (which has also had the dreaded e18 error GGRRR!).
Can someone describe what the intenal battery looks like and where it’s located on an S80. i cant get a fix – free or otherwise – from a shop as i’m in Africa at the moment and will be for the next 4 mths. but i do have a toolkit that will do the job and the ability to to do it once i know where the battery is, what it’s like
I’m using a 4GB mem card which has been fine for about 6 mths. Also have 3 crappy Canon ones that came with camera at 16, 16, & 32 MB which come up with the message Memory Card Error. Card Locked even when they are not)
Very frustrating. the camera itself is great but as this is the second problem i will definitely not buy a Canon again
cheers
Lee
This solution worked for me. I got the CF Card Error on my Powershot S200 that I’ve had for five years. The directions you gave were almost the same for the S200. The only difference is that the battery is located on the other side of the front panel. Your solution saved me from having to throw my camera in the trash and buy a new one. Thank you very much.
Bill
I have to join the cheering croud!
Worked liked a charm! :)
Mine is Canon IXUS 400. I took the battery out and on that MS614S was written. I thought that it might be interesting for some of you that would like to replace it anyway. It is a rechargeable battery and it can have a voltage 3.3V as a new one. I checked min and it was 3.146V. I doubt that the battery was my problem since the camera was working with no error codes but the screen became black when I was trying to take pictures and also the pictures were black as well. I did lots of changes in camera but nothing helped. I remember that before this nasty problem came up I changed the ISO to 400. I took a few pictures actually with it before it went off. After that I could see the pictures on the camera’s screen but it became black when I pushed the button to the right “camera position”. Someone might be really familiar with this problem too and leave a message to this mail address franky@comhem.se – thanks
I’m so glad I found this webpage. I just took my camera apart, took the battery out for around 30 minutes, put it back together, reformatted it and it works!!! Thank you so much for the useful advice.
Hi, thanks so much, it worked well, but I have a piece of camera left over… a black plastic bit poped out and I didnt see where from, but camera still works fine!!! thanks again
Another vexed Ixus 400 user. We have been having the memory card issue for months and every now and then it went away. This week (mother in law’s 60th!!) it completely failed.
Have followed the remove battery advice – I had to definitely get the camera to reset (new date) by removing both batteries. I had to do it three times before it was successful (length of time leaving battery out? don’t know). So keep trying. Reformatting seems to be necessary.
The April 1st link to Canon no longer works – would be interested to know if this still applies in the UK.
Has anyone been able to source a replacement battery (the tiny one)?
AS these cameras become older suspect more people will need this page – so think it is a good idea for people to update their experiences (good and bad).
I’ve got an Ixus 55 (SD450) – I’ve taken the cover off back and front, and I can’t see the little battery anywhere :(
Does anyone have any idea where it is? I’ve searched Google for a parts catalogue manual like the ones on here (http://home19.inet.tele.dk/ne/manualer.htm) because the 55 isn’t listed there. Don’t really want to start unscrewing the display or circuitry if I can help it…
Excellent Excellent Excellent.
Worked on my Canon PowerShot S400.
Thanks for the tips, screws are different sizes so needed to note exactly where they came from.
Photos were a great help.
Thanks so much.
James
Hello everybody,
I just came across this great page when I was googling for a problem problem for my Ixus 400. My problem is different – the lcd and images are gone all blurry – big, vertical blurs. I would really apprectiate any ideas.
Tom (tomgdaly@hotmail.com)
Tom, is this of any help? http://www.canon.com.au/support/customer/default.asp?DXI=KnowledgeBase/Customer/KBArticleForm&File=KB01634&productID=digitalixus400
Thanks very much for posting this, applause.
Your instruction worked excellent (IXUS 400). Thanks for sharing!
hi! uhm i tried using the technique but it would only work for the first picture i take then there goes the problem again. i have tried doing it for more than 10 times. do you think i should change the internal battery? any help would rellay be appreciated. thanks!!
Canon address is https://self-service.canon-europe.com/uk/pages/ enter – “memory card error” ixus 400 – as search criteria and it will give you free repair details.
Tried taking internal battery out, camera started working fine, but after a week got the same error. Will try the CF reset button and see how I get on.
A direct link to that page: http://smallr.com/27v
Absolutely brilliant, worked just as you said
and it’s not difficult to do. Many thanks.
Do I have to charge the battery (camera) after the mentioned procedure?
I have just encountered the same problem after having an SD400 since they came out and have taken lots and lots of photos. I am not technologically savvy so here is my question.
I have several photos on the camera which you can see when you do review. I cannot upload them to my computer. When I try it goes through the process, but says no pictures loaded and of course they aren’t there. When the camera said memory card error I would shut it off and restart and continue taking photos which seemed to work.
Are the photos I’ve taken actually on the memory card so that if I take it to be processed before I remove the batteries to attempt to fix the memory card error they would be able to print them ?
Thank you kindly for your assistance.
dude, you rock. thanks for the fix. worked just as you describe on my S400. one little trick that i discovered the hard way was that the play/camera switch shifted during repair. when i put it back together, it would only operate in camera mode. i took the front back off and aligned the internal switch and the external switch, put back on the front, and it worked like new.
Thanks again. Jason
Same error on my ixus850is – sending to service in the next couple of days. If that doesn’t work then I’ll try this out.
Absolutely brilliant.
saved my life with this one. You should be commended on this wonderful page. Great stuff
Fantastic, just mended my Ixus400…
Removed all the little screws, took the front and back off, prised out the battery. Left it for 5 minutes, reversed the process and it worked.
Just worried that it’s the battery failing. Time will tell!
Thanks a million!!
Kate
The website also indicates a card greater than 32mb formatted on XP will indicate the same error. I simply reformatted my messed up card on another camera and it works fine. no need to dismantle the camera!!
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=OSCompatibilityAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=11125&keycode=windr
forgot to include the canon site
Thank you so much for this set of instructions. I’ve had to perform this procedure twice now, the first time about a year ago. Both times it worked like a charm. I haven’t had to format the cards at all. I guess if the fix lasts 12 months or so, I can live with that. It’s otherwise a very nice camera.
Thank you so much for posting this fix; I can’t believe that it worked!! I was quite prepared to ‘bin’ my Ixus 400 and buy something new. The reassembly was a bit fiddly and I ended up with a tiny piece of plastic left over. I’ve no idea where it belongs, but the camera works perfectly well without it, so I’m delighted.
If your Ixus breaks,
And nobody else can help you,
Maybe you can do….the battery fix!
In other words, thanks, it worked for me too.
Oh and Sue, I also have a spare bit of plastic (small curved square thingy). My CF release doesn’t spring open, so I have my suspicions!
Does anyone know if this will work on an ixusi zoom. It’s a newer camera but shows the same fault.
Shame there is not simply a hard reset button like other digital products
Thanks
WoW! It really works!!
There were only one difficulty; screws were so tiny and my fingers so big.
Thanking you a lot!!!
Minnatiina (Finland)
It actually worked for my canon s200! I am amazed. I am not good at tinkering with things but this actually is a pretty easy fix! The battery chip is on the oppoosite upper side than the 400. Be careful putting it back together! You saved me $100! Thanks
Yes been lying around for ages with this error adn this fixed it although there is a little piece of brown plastic (since located it’s position
Fantastic
Thankyou
I had problems with my 400 whilst on holiday in New Zealand last year. Put the camera in a cupboard and forgot about it until now. Am about to go on holiday to New York and decided to try it out again, same old CF error message. Came across this page and contacted Canon for the free repair. After waiting for long periods on hold I was told the repair time was 2-4 weeks and “You might have to pay if it is not the problem specified”. So, decided to tackle the problem myself as I leave for NYC in 6 days time!!!
I have no technical training and can barely handle a screwdriver but with the advice from this page I managed the whole exercise with no problems. My advice is:
1. Label the screws and draw diagrams so you know where to put them back.
2. Make a note of the order the pieces of the casing came off.
3. Download the repair diagrams from the earlier post as they are a great help when you find yourself with a bit of plastic left over at the end.
Hope this is of help.
Neil
This didn’t work for me, so I’ve now sent my camera off for Canon Australia to look at (I spoke with them over the phone and they said it was OK to do this battery change-out procedure myself).
However, in all the discussions on this problem one thing I’ve noticed is that no-one has told us how many screws to remove and where they all are! There are 11 to take out (one is hidden behind the rubber flap), and I’ve created a really simple diagram that shows where each is located: http://sandgroper14.wordpress.com/2007/10/01/camera-errors/
Hi
I have a canon powershot s45 and i am experiencing real problems with mine every time i switch it on i get a cf card error i have tried removing main battery and card then reinstalling them i have also changed the card but still getting the same message any ideas folks
Many thanks
Gaz
Carlisle UK
[…] about my camera giving a ‘Memory card error’ and hence no longer working, I came across this blog entry about fixing the ‘Memory card error’ on Canon IXUS 400. Apparently, the problem could […]
Thanks Very Much Last time i also have same problem I change 5 card also can’t salv this problem but when i see this idea i try to take out my battry and put back Now every things Done But still have 1 problem when i open camera camera show me date and time every time need setting But “memory card error ” this Problam salve Thanks Very Much
Krishna, it sounds like you:
– have replaced the internal battery the wrong way round or…
– have replaced the internal battery the correct way round but there is not enough electrical contact or…
– need to replace the internal battery with a new one.
Hope those help.
Thanks: for the moment it works on my Ixus 400. Very old model, I know, but I am quiet happy with it :-) and that it’s working again.
Cool!
It worked on my Cannon S200 Powershot.
thanks
I’m going to be trying this tonight so hopefully I can get my camera back to it’s former glory!
I have a quick question though, or a warning.. I’ve been told to avoid touching the flash. Because of the high voltages it carries it can give you quite a shock.
Now, obviously the battery will be disconnected so it shouldn’t happen but even so.. it’s worth staying safe!
Here’s another trick which has just solved my ‘memory card error’ problem (Ixus 400). IF it’s indeed a fix, it would save having to dismantle the camera. However, you’ll need a spare CF card if you want to keep the photos that are on your main CF card that’s in your camera. I used the original CF card (32 MB!) that I had kept as a spare when I upgraded to a 1 GB card, but I guess any old CF card would do:
Take the main CF card out of the camera. Put in the spare CF card. Turn on the camera (you’ll probably get the usual error message again). Format the spare CF card in the camera (press the Menu button, press the left or right directional buttons to access the ‘Set up’ menu, push the down button 5 times til it reads ‘Format’ in the top right corner, press the Set button to enter the format screen, press right button directional button once to highlight ‘OK’, press Set button to execute the formatting). REPEAT FORMATTING SEVERAL TIMES IN QUICK SUCCESSION e.g. 5 times. Then turn the camera off and back on, to see if the error messages don’t appear again. If they don’t appear (on the spare CF card), then they won’t appear either when you put in your main CF card, which contains your photos intact.
If you don’t have a spare CF card, you could try this repeat formatting procedure using your main (only) CF card, but of course you will lose any photos on the card due to the formatting.
Not sure if this is a sure fix until someone else tries it to see if it works. If it’s not a fluke, perhaps the repeated formatting somehow purges the internal battery or discharges the circuit (who cares, if it works, it works!).
Good luck…
I tried this fix (removing battery) and it worked like a charm but then a few days later the same error appeared so its off to the official service.
Just getting ready to leave for the holidays and charged the battery on my IXUS 400 (about 5 years old). Got the ‘memory card error’ for the first time (I used the camera just two months ago with no problems). I went to a local camera shop and tested with another card, same error. I almost bought a new camera, but googled the error first and found this site and decided to give it a go. I was in the process of taking out the internal battery (had 5 of the screws out), but decided to try the reset button first – works perfect now!! Thanks so much!
Thanks a lot!!!
I could not take christmas photos, since my camera failed just christmas eve, but now when I had time, i checked from web, tried your advise having slight doupt… and was very happy doing so, since after putting my camera back together it worked great (after formatting the card).
And it also made my wife to look me admiring ;))
Best reagrds, Mikko
Reviewed the postings here, but didn’t notice anyone mentioning that Canon will now fix this for free under their S400 repair advisory:
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=PgComSmModDisplayAct&fcategoryid=223&modelid=8777&keycode=2112&id=27465
Hi guys, I wonder if you could give some advice? I had no idea there were these problems with the canon ixus, I’ve had mine 2 years (ixus 430) and had no problems with it. Just got back from my honeymoon last week and tried to download my photos onto my mum’s computer using her canon ixus 400 by putting my memory card into her camera – I couldn’t wait til I got back home to use mine – Biggest mistake ever! It immediately said memory card error and I can’t access any of my photos! Am absolutely distraught as I don’t know if I’ll be able to get them back. My camera now says memory card error, and the card wouldn’t read in my brother’s camera either. Any advice? Is it possible to get data off memory cards if it has an error? I don’t want to reformat the card as it’ll wipe it. Thanks, Helen
The trick worked for me!
Thanks a lot. I am very happy that my Ixus 400 is alive again.
Frank
Fantastic! It worked for me AND retained all my photos on the card.
Nice one!
Brilliant – it worked, and I didn’t even have to reformat the memorycard. You have saved my day!
Cai
It worked! I used an exacto knife, I didn’t have a screw driver. Becareful though.
thanks a lot for that info..fantastic!!!its alive again!!!..unfortunately some kind of plastic (dark grey) dropped out after the cover was removed and i didnt see where it dropped from..however i continued assembling the covers back and it still works!! do you think that the plastic piece would somehow have a serious effect on the camera later??pls advise.
Helen Malcolm,
You can download the photos from your card through a card reader directly onto your pc. I used my palm pilot which has slot for these memory cards and downloaded them that way.
By the way the this trick fixed my problem and all is working good.
Hi! Very good advice.
I have my ixus 430 since 2004. Don’t know why now it has problem in taking picture. I can hear the clicking noise as if it tries taking picture. But the result is just like a printer out of toner. Is this some kind of ‘memory card error’? Can I get some advice, please? Thanks
Hi, my ixus 400 died yesterday (3~4yr old) so Ill try the ‘fix’ also. Thx for the help..
Will – I can’t thank you enough for this information. Taking out the battery worked a treat on my Ixus 400.
(I tried the reset button under the card flap and reformatting the card first, but they didn’t work for me).
And a big thank you to Rhonda too for the link to the screw location diagram. I printed that off and stuck the screw onto it with double sided tape ;-)
BTW One of the Canon official UK repairer confirmed to me that if I posted the camera to them they would repair it for free if it was the known fault. However TBH this was such a simple fix it was much less hassle than sending it back (and they didn’t say they would refund the postage costs…)
Hi everyone! I was told that my ixus 430 has CCD problem. I have been in touch with Canon repair facility & they asked me to send my ixus for repair free of charge.
I’ll find out the final result in 2+ weeks as I have to be out of town for 2 weeks.
I got this error on my ixus 400, I left the flash card out over night and it came on ok the next day.
i didnt do the fix..
I couldn’t find a screwdriver small enough, so I just tapped the corner where the battery lives and – hey presto – it worked!
Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou!!!!
THANKS. WORKED A TREAT
JOHN SCOTLAND
Glad this post is still around. I kept the battery out for 10 minutes before putting it back in. Worked like a charm. Thank you!!
When I dismantled the camera it fell out one part. I can’t figure where it’s supposed to be placed. The camera works wery well without the part, so that makes it even more suspect :-) It seemed like to fell out from the inner side of the front cover unit but I’m not sure. I have also looket in ther “IXUX parts catalog” without finding it.
Can anyone of you help me? E.g if anyone dismantle the camera, can you take notice og the placement?
Picture og the part is on the links below:
Egil – Norway.
Hi – Thanks for the info. I was having the same issue with my Canon Powershot S400 & I found you on Google. I came across a place that said all you need to do is (believe it or not) violently shake the camera by its strap a few times, turn it on & off a few times & the problem is fixed! I try it for the heck of it (skeptical I must say – since when does anything free work), low & behold – it worked! Read here scrolling down to the 3rd entry by E Yu: http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B00008OE6I?sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
Hi,
having problems with my IXUS 70… memory card error.
Have tried to open the card by itself on the computer and by
using the usbcable to the camera. Any ideas on what to do?
br
Sandra
Excellent recommendations, although my IXUS 400 was fixed by using the reset switch just above the CF card (tiny black plastic thingy needs to be pressed for a few seconds).
I am pretty sure that removing the battery is generally unnecessary when you can reset the camera this way. Once again thank you for the advice!
Bought a new IXUS 70 about 3 weeks ago from Amazon. No problems. Updated the memory card to a 2GB, and gues what… Errors.
This problem is unforgiveable. There are forum comments across the ‘net about Canon and memory cards dating back a looooong time. I only wish I’d read them first.
I’d NEVER touch canon again. back to Olympus stuff for me.
Hi to all
I also had problems with my Canon Ixus 400, i think november 2007.Called the desk of Canon in Belgium and guess what, they fixed the card error whitout charing a thing!!A week later I had my camera back.On their site I found information about the error, that’s why I called them. Everything went very well, so i’m very pleased about their services. Now time to buy a new one, a Canon of course :)
My advice:Contact Canon!
Greetz
My error was ‘E50’, ‘memory card error’. In the store they first tested everything:filetype card, status card, tested with a new card. My camera was working fine with a 256Mb memory card.Problems began when I wanted to use a bigger card!Now it’s working fine, like it used to :)
Hats off to the person with the pictures. I just followed his advice and opened the camera and did what he asked. Behold! It worked. Cannot say for how long as others have the problem once more.
The battery number is MS614S for US made in Japan. It had number in the middle as well 3422. Where can i get the battery?
Thanks once again.
Found myself on New Year’s day with a memory card error and the loss of around 40 pictures, only had the nouse to look on the web for solutions today and this has worked a treat. I only had the battery out for about 5 minutes, fitted the casing back together and *touch wood* it’s working as new, and i can get my pictues back! Brilliant fix and useful pictures, cheers.
Thanx! I left the battery out for about 1 minute, and now the camera works great!
Thanks for your useful information. My ixus 400 is working now.
However, a small piece of plastic parts dropped off when the case was removed. The parts is about 1cm, L-shape and dark gray in color. I don’t know where should be this parts and I reassemblied the camera. I had checked all functions and the camera worked!
Do you have any idea about this strange parts?
Thanks.
Thanks very much for this advice. After reading all the comments, decided to go in order of the simplest to most complex fix. The ‘reset’ button next to the CF card didn’t work, however formatting a spare card did the trick. The camera seemed to be confused with the size of the card and that was causing the problem, initially said 3MB for the card but after formatting a couple of times correctly read 32MB
Thanks to everyone for the advice which has remedied the problem.
I went the dismantle route sticking the screws to handdrawn diagrams as I went along to simplify the rebuild – highly recommended!
I just did the trick; removed the 11 screws (and then lost a part, put it back in again according to the part-schemes mentioned earlier), removed the battery, put everything together again (be aware of the slider camera-viewer!) and it works! But I already bought a new IXUS…and then saw this site. Now I have 2x IXUS… What a pity. But it works! Many thanks: Internet is a wonderful thing! Paul
Brilliant simple fix. My Canon IXUS 400 came up with memory card error the day I went motor racing, so I was not best pleased! I removed the battery and its now working fine. Thanks for the tip.
I know this is an older page but I have only recently experienced this problem. I wish to clarify is it a battery replacement or just merely taking the internal battery out for ten minutes and replacing same?
Great fix, haven’t used the camera for nearly 2 years because of this problem. Took battery out, put same battery back in – camera now works a treat.
A small dark grey piece of plastic fell out whilst removing the front panel- has a number 2 printed inside it – haven’t a clue where it’s from but camera seems fine without it.
Thanks much for the info! Our Canon Powershot S400 hasn’t been used in a couple years b/c of this problem (“Memory card error”). I tried your solution and now, all is well with the camera (thanks for the pic showing the location of the internal battery, btw. That was really helpful!). Note: I only left the internal battery out for about 10 minutes (I took out the large battery pack before dismantling the camera, as one user did, and that may have helped) and that’s all that was necessary.
WOW. God bless the internet! Many thanks for this fix.
Same problem…camera not used for about a year. But all tickety boo now. Took battery out for a minute or two, that’s all. And popped it straight back in. My guess is it’s like a factory reset because when you turn the camera back on you have to reset the date and time. Didn’t read the comments above about the reset button until after dismantling the camera (!) but who cares..it works now, and I feel like a smug engineery type person.
Does this solution work for the SD 1000? I’m experiencing the same issues with my power shot SD 1000 but the people at Canon are telling me their service offer only applies to the SD 400 even though on their website they posted their notice under the SD 1000 category. That’s how I found out about this issue in the first place. I’m not sure I trust myself to open up my camera and do what others have done. Can anyone give me some insight about the SD 1000? Thanks.
For those people who are stuck with a plastic thinghy that fell out during the disassembly process, you need to insert it on the left side of the flash….
Hi Divyrider!
The camera works again! Thank you, Will!
But, bad luck, I have the problem with the black part… :( Divyrider, could you please describe the place to put it a little more exactly? Or maybe you have the possibility to take a photo, that would be perfect :)
Thanks alot in advance,
Kind regards
Ernst Gumpinger
Another satisfied customer! Thanks for posting this repair.
I also have a loose bit of plastic left over that fell out when I took off the front and it doesn’t appear to fit anywhere easily. I checked whether it fitted near the flash as mentioned above and it doesn’t seem to. Camera works OK without it so not really worried but if there is a picture to show where it goes back that would be helpful.
@ Egil from Norway and Tsang:
left over part
4 CD3-0631-000 C 1 SPACER, FINDER GAP
see the parts list
Click to access POWER%20SHOT%20S400%20-%20IXUS%20400.pdf
Missing 7 droppedout parts, see page 2 of
Click to access POWER%20SHOT%20S400%20-%20IXUS%20400.pdf
part labelled 4) CD3-0631-000 C 1 SPACER, FINDER GAP
Yay, thanks heaps for this. My husband came home to the camera in bits all layed out precariously on the bench, lol. But it’s all go again and our pictures even came back.
Hey Mark, incidentally i was attending the 1st F1 night race here in Singapore and viola, the 400 failed me with the memory card error message. Wondering if motor racing is associated with this bug :)
Divyrider, thank you for the tip. Am pretty sure it is going to work!
Thank you for putting this information online, it has just revived an old ixus 400.
I rang Canon, and they said that yes, this is a known fault and they would repair for free, however, I would have to send it to one of their main service centres, which are 350 km away.
So, easy life if you live next door, but I’ll be trying your fix, thanks for the info.
I have just fixed my IXUS 500 having the ‘memory card error’ display. I used the CF card door method and was successful after the fifth attempt.
This must be a preferred option before opening up the camera and risking failure or damage. I gently used a bent paperclip (large size) and held the black plunger down for 3-10seconds. I then left the camera for 10minutes or so and then switched the camera on. Lo and behold problem fixed. Thanks to problem solvers as above.
Just fixed my IXUS 400 by taking out the battery. All done in 20 min. Great instructions! Thanks a lot! The warranty of the camera has expired. Opted for the DIY version after experiencing one of the typical service line situations. After getting through relatively quickly to Canon my
hope grew that the advertised free repair would not only be a myth. I was told by Canon that they had outsourced the repairs and was given the contact address. Canon informed me I would have to include the original box with all the components and the invoice. Luckily, I still had everything and then called the company Canon referred me to. They told me that the info from Canon was wrong and that in any case I would have to pay about 50 USD (converted from Swiss Franks). Called Canon and asked them whether this was right. Canon said no, I must be mistaken. I should call the company for the repair again. Called them (the repair company) again and of course got the same response. Called Canon again, now they told me to call another repair subcontractor. Did so, this second company said they would repair the camera for free if the memory error was really caused, else I would be fully charged for the opening of the camera and the postage. Finally gave up on the Canon “service”. In my experience in Switzerland Canon service is a myth. Only wasted more than an hour of my time and build up a feeling of frustration. Also am wondering why buy an expensive digital camera in the future. A cheap one would do the trick in most cases and if it stops working, well then one doesn’t have to worry about the money lost.
Hi i have different problem with my Ixus 400.
I can view the pictures on the compact flash card, but when i switch to take pictures, all i get is a distorted screen, no image, you cant even view what your trying to capture.
This is the same in video or any other mode.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
I believe the problem to be “dirty” electrical contact with the small internal battery. This may be caused by moisture in the air and the fact that the camera is not ‘sealed’. When batteries only supply very small currents this is a common problem. The following actions may work: increased electrical activity (formatting, resetting etc) or mechanical action (shaking camera, cleaning battery or just removing and replacing battery). When cleaning the battery try not to leave finger grease on it – use gloves or a tissue. In use avoid rapid changes in temperature – cold to warm generates condensation. This advice applies to all electrical equipment that has battery or other contacts that carry tiny electrical currents.
I just performed this fix on a PowerShot S500 displaying “Memory Card Error” and it worked great. The camera is back to taking pictures. Thanks for posting.
the internet rocks!
I’ve had my S400 since spring of 2003, and after 5 yrs of loyal service and thousands of photos taken, I got this error. My wife already had a newer Canon, so it wasn’t much of an issue. I’d tried electrical cleaner sprays, which worked for a few days… but no luck. I finally decided to search the internet, and I tried this fix.
1) I agree with Robert – I think keeping it in my car with the temperature swings and poor moisture control contributed to this failure.
2) I think the memory card door switch might also suffer from poor electrical connectivity, so there could be 2 separate issues with the same cause.
Thanks for the site!
Great Job! Worked on a S500 perfectly. Thanks
Cheers guys, worked wonders.
Thanks for all the tips! :)
Egil, (and others)
the black part came out on my camera too. It’s depicted on the parts catalogue (above link somewhere), on page 2. Item No 4.
It belongs to the front, in between the viewfinder and the flash. It neatly slots in there with the end “with the square hole” facing the back of the camera. It’s tricky to find with knowing where it belongs, as the slot is not very big at all. Follow the diagram on the spare parts drawing.
regards,
Wolfgang
hi – the instructions for repairing the cf card issue on the ixus 400 are so excellent and clear, that i decided to try it on my ixus 300 which is displaying exactly the same cf error fault. The ixus 300 also looks externally very similar to the 400.
Unfortunately the internal bettery is not under the flap as indicated in the photo. I was wondering if anyone knew where it might be … and whether anyone has tried the same technique of removing/replacing it successfully, as with the ixus 400?
Any replies eagerly awaited as my ixus 300, though a little old, has been a faithful friend until now!!
kind regards
rowena
Had same problem few years ago. Canon in Germany repaired my ixus for free within one hour (on our way into holidays) :-)
thanks for the reply!
…maybe i should contact Canon if they’ll do it for free … :-)
would be happy to do it myself too and would love to hear from anyone else about where the internal battery for the ixus 300 might be…really want to do the repairs before christmas!
thanks again,
rowena
Hi, I kept getting a “memory card error” on my Canon PowerShot S500 as well. It turns out that one of the pins in the CF memory card slot was bent. Maybe I accidentally bent it while changing the memory card one day. Anyway, I had to take apart the whole camera to get in there and straighten out the pin, but when I put it all back together, it works great! No more errors. Take a look with a flashlight and see if one of your pins are bent. And if you decide to take it apart, be very careful about keeping track of where each screw goes… they are tiny and they are different sizes.
Ixus 400 after four years “memory error card” message – took advice about reset of internal battery – appears to have worked a treat – also very easy to do.
Thanks
I got this error too, on both of my memory cards, but took it to a shop for them to have a quick look at. All they did was try another memory card (not a new one) and it seemed to work fine. Off out to buy a new memory card now, as I probably needed one anyway as the ones I have are as old as the camera. Will let you know if this doesn’t fix it.
This solutions works!!
I did a simple google search on Canon Ixus 400 Memory Card Error and found this fix.
Tried it immediately. Left the battery out for only 1 minute. And the camera is again a useful gadget!
Many thanks to Will.
Will,
Thank you for taking time to post this message.Blessings to you and your family.
Darryl
Got my new memory card and it worked fine, but after only a dozen or so photos (and right at the start of our holiday), it came up again… so new CF card didn’t fix problem. Fortunately a my parents in law, who were holidaying with us, had cameras, phew!
So, did the full fix, and, after a bit of trauma when a part fell out and I couldn’t work out where to put it, so far so good! Thanks to the person who left the link to the parts manual, which helped me work out where the spacer that fell out went!!!
And thanks Will for publishing this fix.
Thanks Will,
15 mins, small kitchen knife and your instructions have given my old camera a new lease of life. Wondered if it would be a good idea to change the internal battery while the cover was off, but could not resist putting it back together to test it straight away. Will tackle a new battery if the problem occurs again. Incidentally, tried the easier option several times (pushing black button inside door) but to no avail. Thanks again, great to have quick and easy fix for relatively expensive and useful piece of equipment.
I don’t have the memory card error thing but my brother does with his ixus 400, so will pass it on to him to try.
My ixus 400 has the blurry screen thing happening. how do we repair that one?
I read somewhere that Canon fix this for free?
Ideas would be appreciated,
cheers
The link to your photo’s seems to have broken, but with your distcription and a wee bit of confidence, it worked a treat. I replaced that battery with a new one, as there’s an electrical shop across the street!
The only issue I have now is the two batteries I have, don’t seem to last more than 10 minutes these days, I guess it’s time to replace them, I wish there was a way to reformat them! ;)
I’m sure you have a new camera now, but it’s nice to see that this thread has lasted 3 years and helped a lot of people out.
Thanks a lot ;)
Cheers for the fix, it worked a treat! The photo links at the top don’t work so locating the battery was done more by luck. Fortunately, I lifted the front bottom right hand corner of the metal film and there it is! I took the battery out for a matter of minutes and then replaced it and the camera now works fine. When I put the flash card back in, I was suprised to find some photo’s from the birth of my daughter back in 2007 which we thought we had lost. Thanks a lot
Hi all…
IXUS 400: Had the dreaded memory card error, E50 etc for a while, tried the internal battery removal trick, it worked for a while then came back again.. I have updated the firmware from 1.0 to 2.0.. it worked briefly for a minute, now it is back again.. I have ordered a new CF card and some new batteries (the original one only lasts a few mins from a “full charge”) as a last resort.. just wondered if anyone else has had any luck after a firmware update? I know CF cards can go on the blink sometimes and this one is a few years old, but.. It’s getting expensive for an old camera.. Here’s hoping!
Lovely, had the same problem on an Ixus 500, I gently took it apart, removed and cleaned the (rechargeable, type ms614s) battery and got a working camera again. Just take care of remembering which screw goes where (there are about 4 types of them, with different lenghts and threads) and be carefull with the little spring under the card cover. It took me 15 minutes all together. Many thanks :-)
Hi there
I’m stuck – the photos don’t appear any more and I can’t find the internal battery?
Any directions or photos please?
Thanks
John
Hi, I cannot seem to find or open the pictures of the fixing process. Is it possible to see them anywere? I can`t wait to start fixing my ixus…
Thankyou
Johanna
Sorry Johanna, photos don’t exist any more, it’s the description alone now!
Brilliant ! Worked on the IXUS 430 just can’t believe it worked so well and simply. Didn’t need the pics. Battery out for only seconds but the only problem I had was replacing the different size screws as they fell so got muddled! last year I had my camera repaired as zoom was not working & overhalled for £90 and had so many problems and delays that I didn’t want to send it away again, especially a few days before 1st grandchild’s arrival.
many thanks, strugled a little as pics on site wouldnt down load, but found battery and it worked, got a screw left over but seems ok. even though camera is outdated and secondhand it takes good pics didnt want to have to get new one as spare batteries and cards no good in latest cameras.
The format several times with 1 sec interfals
worked for me. Great tips above!
I advise to read all post to fix your
camera!
s200 and it did not work for me, but i ordered a new stronger battery from ebay and if worst comes to worst i just use older compaqflash cards… very useful info
Canon ixus 400 ‘memory error’
Hi there, i too my canon apart carefully and a small grey piece of plastic fell out, i have not a clue where it goes! The camera works a treat, memory error cured but cannot find the place for this piece, any ideas??
Regards, Gary
Thanks for all the help. Phoned canon this morning and they more or less suggested as it was out of warranty i could send to any repair shop. Have phoned again and they have agreed it is a known fault and may be repaired FOC. Otherwise its DIY.
Many thanks, Barbara
I had the memory card error problem on my Ixus 400, and I managed to fix it through the camera menu. Just go to ‘File No. Reset’ and select ‘On’, then reformat the card (‘Format’ then ‘OK’.) This seemed to do the trick on mine. Good luck fixing your cameras.
I forgot to say on that last comment that you will of course lose your old pictures when you reformat the card.
Will said on
March 8th, 2006 at 10:38
“If you want to test to see if the fix has worked before putting the camera back together you need to make sure the compact flash access flap is held closed, there s a small switch the this activates and the camera can’t be turned on with the flap open.”
I picked up the camera free (the S200) after my divorce when “suddenly” all the cameras “we” owned were University of Colorado property and I wasn’t entitled to a single one! What a surprise!!!! The previous owner just knew it wouldn’t tead the card- I figured it was a known problem. I took off the cover last night (had to get new tools to dismantle it- guess CU owns those, even though I thought Dirk bought them himself??) and realized I needed to find a schematic for locating the internal battery. (Couldn’t get Google Chrome to load those- trying Internet Exploder and having the same problem) I did discover that the reason the CF card door won’t stay shut is there’s a bit of the tongue from the door portion that snapped off, meaning the piece that inserts into the lock is a straight bit and there’s nothing to hang on to. Could that missing piece cause the “memory card error”? I tried the reset button- just have to locate the “external” battery and CF card to check the reset…. but wondering, even if the fix worked, might that missing flange piece cause other issues?
Yup, I’m reading ancient history here, I understand.
The camera has been showing this error message regarding the memory car, Like all we changed the card, but prob still there. This was over a yr ago. I’ve just completed the fix – & I’m sooo happy that this is working again as our replacement camera isn’t as good as this one! thanks
Another person you’ve helped here with an ixus 400. Was scared about trying the fix without pics but it all went well. Thanks very much for all the knowledge.
High time I got a better camera but times are hard and I’m still attached to the little ixus.
Allright! it’s work. Thanks! (Canon ixus 400 and error E50)
My camera has been exhibiting this problem for some time and the fix worked a treat. One slight problem with the reassembly when a reasonably complex plastic piece dropped out and for the life of me I couldn’t determine where it came from – its fully functional without it so it’s all a bit of a mystery
I was doing the battery reset today and also ended up with a loose plastic piece that I can’t find a place for. It fell out quite easily which would suggest a location on the outside of the assembly, but after an hour of looking and trying to fit is somewhere I’m still unsuccessful. The piece appears to have wear marks as if something would slide against it (something ~thickness of the battery(?)), but that’s the best I can determine. The camera works fine.
Isn’t the net great. Get a problem and some one has already had it and got a fix.
Fixed my IXUS 400 in 5 mins with the advise above
Wow so Great it really work, Just Fixed my IXUS 400.. But I just brought 2 unit camera Nikon D7000 and Ricoh CX1..
Dear WILL !
I am not able to solve “MEMORY CARD ERROR’ problem with my CANON IXUS 100 IS digital camera.
How could I get resolve this problem?
I am not good in Technical/Repair.
Kindly help me to solve this problem.
Regards,
T A ANKAM
[…] from Aline Wong. She encountered the same problem and managed to solve it. She did this inspired by Will. He made the pictures of the internal thing and marked where the battery can be […]
I have this on my Ixus 500 after several years of no problems, Thought the memory card was broken, but tested another card and got same error. Did open and remove the internal battery for one hour. It seems to be a rechargable one so no need to replace, I charged both external batteries but the error remains. Did remove the memory card and reformatted it in my desktop several times
Thanks for all because it worked!
I live in Vietnam. One sunny day, I went to Hanoi Open Market and bougt a used camera Canon Digital IXUS 430 without the battery and CF card. When I went home and turned it on, I saw the message “Memory card error”. So I think I lost 2.5 US$ (50,000 VND). I decided to followe the way of the Will and the camera worked. Only the difference was I removed the battery from the camera at all.
Thanks a lot!
Ixus 400 runs again. Thank you.
IXUS 400 card error easily fixed as mentioned earier by formatting card IN ANOTHER CAMERA. I used my old Samsung and hey presto. Memory card problem fixed. Who would have thought that formatting on a PC ( win 7) would still leave this problem !!
[…] https://blog.willj.net/2006/02/12/fixing-the-memory-card-error-on-the-canon-ixus-400s3/ […]
I just fixed my IXUS 400 by removing the battery. 15min job. Thanks a bunch for the info man.
Hi. I tried to transfer some photos from the memory card to my sons computer using a USB device. The computer didn’t have enough space for the files so I roved the device correctly. Once I put the memory card back in but it says no image. I don’t know where the images have gone or if they are able to be recovered. What should I do? The camera is a canon digital IXUS 70. Any help would be really appreciated.
I just performed the CF card door method for 3 seconds on my IXUS 500. I could take pictures again immediately thereafter. Thanks for starting this thread.