Messed up pictures now.

i suggest you take the camera to a digital Canon repair shop and ask them for a repair quote. They may charge for a quote unless you go ahead with the repair, then you can decide whether to get a new body or get it repaired.

I don't think there is really anything you can do if the lens is messed up, you can either take it to the repair shop or you'll just have to get a new one. Since the lense is messed up even if you could get it to turn on it wouldn't show the picture right.

Erasing the pictures using the computer is the problem. Your camera does not recognize the card anymore. If your pics are safely on your computer, format the card in the camera to get it working again.

Many Canon Cameras that were made a couple of years ago have a faulty CCD chip. Canon will repair the problem at no charge regardless if the warranty is expired or not. They will even pay postage to ship it back. I had to send in both my PowerShot SD110 and my Powershot S500 it took about two weeks from the day i sent them in to the day they returned. They handled everything just as a good company should. Contact Canon through their website for more information. Good Luck!

It turns out that the problem was the batteries. I put some good ones that I had in the camera and it started working just fine. Even though the others were showing that they at least partially working, maybe just not enough juice to really work. Anyway, with just about any problem - try new batteries first and see if there is any change or improvement.

If you don’t find a solution you may want to try [email protected]. He was able to give me some great advice and he has used parts in good condition and at a good price. It worked for me.

This sounds like it might be a defective CCD imager. If so, Canon should fix this for you for free, including free shipping both ways. This is regardless of your camera's warranty status. Please check the following two links for more info:

http://camerarepair.blogspot.com/2007/11/canon-digital-cameras-showing-black.html

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=PgComSmModDisplayAct&fcategoryid=225&modelid=13390&keycode=2112&id=29819

Applicable cameras include:
A40, A60, A70, A75, A80, A85, A95, A300, A310, S1 IS, S60, S200, S230, S330, S400, S410, S500, SD100, SD110, IXUS V2/300/400/430/500, IXY Digital 200a/300a/400/450/500

By the way, stop banging on it. That's a last resort fix for a lens error :-)

You checked the obvious, lens cover? (sorry had to ask) any grinding noises when you take a picture or focus\zoom?

Take out the memory card from your camera and insert it in another camera could use this type of card. It will let you know if your problem is with the camera or the memory card. Good luck!

You mentioned the Magnet possibility, check around its location or move it to another site. Check also cabling where it runs and connections swap USB connectors or even if you have other USB stuff running that you could do with out. Its all a process of elimination before you have to decide to bin it.