Faulty or "Bugged"

[Peter Rhodes]

Hi,

I have an Olympus C - 220 Zoom which has servered me well over the last 2 years (wifes anniverssary present!!)

I have encountered a problem today when I took a picture. Every picture I now take is very dark, like when the flash should have fired but did not. All white content settings are fine.

There is a second problem that may point someone to advice me on what is wrong, the flash setting is fixed on NO FLASH and cannot be changed. I have other flash settings - auto, red eye etc, none can now be altered. It is deffinetly NOT the changes button that is faulty as this works fine when adjusting other functions.

I had another strange problem about 4 months ago when I could not delete pictures my son had taken with my camera, I eventually removed his pictures by using the "Delete All" function, once cleared I can now delete single pictures again.

I have reported both "strange" problems as they occur after my son has used his own PC and Windows to down load his pictures. I use CAMEDIA, supplied with the camera. I suppose the moto is don't let my son use my camera!!

I have taken it to the local camera shop and he says it is not worth repairing, I can buy a modern camera of similar quality at silghtly high than the cost of repair, maybe he is right.

The question is - Is the camera software "bugged" by my son using his PC and MS Windows or is it genuinely faulty. I feel if I can restore "Factory Settings" it may cure the problem. I have checked my manaual, left batteries out for a day - rthe problem is still there.

I now its a long shot but any help is appreciated, thanks.

I live in the UK in Lancashire

Peter Rhodes