Remove cassette tape (message)

dead battery --debris --incorrect tape --improper loading

It sounds like a mechanical problem (not a moisture problem). There's no quick and easy way to say what's wrong with it without actually tearing it apart and inspecting it. I would advise trying a repair shop other than the one you have already tried. If you can, find a canon authorized service center.

If your camcorder experiences an error, you may be presented with a ?Remove the Cassette? message. There are several reasons that this message may appear, but it is essentially a safety warning that is designed to protect the camcorder and/or tape from damage. The camcorder?s tape drive mechanism is made up of many precision components that, once damaged, may cause further problems if the mechanism continues to operate. When a problem is detected the safety mechanism is activated. The ?Remove the Cassette? warning and the camcorder?s safety mode may be activated by a variety of conditions such as: 1. Condensation is detected ? If condensation is detected by the camcorder, the ?Remove the Cassette? warning may occur. 2. Component failure ? If an electrical or mechanical component in the camcorder fails, the safety mode may activate to prevent any further damage to the camcorder. 3. Sand or grit damage ? The camcorder?s tape drive mechanism consists of many tiny gears. Sand or grit can cause a gear to jam and stop turning. This will cause the camcorder's safety mode to activate. 4. Impact damage ? If a camcorder is accidentally dropped or bumped against a hard surface, it is possible that a misalignment of the tape drive mechanism may occur. 5. Liquid damage ? If either the camcorder or the tape is exposed to water or any other liquid, a variety of malfunctions may result. Please avoid this situation. 6. Improper videotape insertion ? If a tape is forced into the cassette compartment, or if the cassette compartment is pressed down while the tape is loading, damage may occur to the tape drive mechanism. Please refer to the User's Manual. 7. Damaged or defective tape ? If a tape becomes damaged, please discontinue its use. Operational Recovery Steps Depending on the conditions that caused this message to appear, it is possible that the camcorder operation may recover. Please follow these steps: 1. Eject the videotape Insert a new or known good videotape. If the message does not persist, it is possible that the tape was damaged. If the camcorder still displays the message with a new tape, please proceed to step 2. 2. If condensation had been detected causing the Remove the Cassette warning, remove the cassette, and allow at least one hour for the moisture to dry. If the "Remove the Cassette" message continues, the camcorder may require service. Please contact Canon USA's Tech Support Center at 1 (800) 828-4040. Technical support hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 12:00 midnight; and Saturday 10:00am - 8:00pm (all times EST). Alternatively, if electronic support is preferred, please send your email to [email protected]

Check the Audio Cassette Tape

1. Make sure the cassette tape is compatible with your device. Note: Some cassette players won't play High Bias or Metal tapes.
   
2. Remove the tape from the cassette compartment. WARNING! There is a risk of hardware damage when you force to remove a stuck tape from the cassette compartment.
   
3. Use a pen or pencil to turn the cassette reel and reduce tape slack.

Check the Cassette Player

1. Remove the tape from the cassette compartment.
2. Clean the tape player head and drive mechanism. Use a dry cotton swab to clean the surface of the pinch roller, play/recording head and erase-head

To reset the error message, unplug the video camera from its power source and remove the battery. Wait at least two minutes. Next take out the cassette. Wait a few more minutes and then reconnect the power source. Replace the battery and then the cassette. Turn on the camera and see if the error returns.

In some cases, the solution is to press and hold the play button while you turn on the video camera. This starts the camera in playback mode and avoids the error. Turn off the camera, then press Rec while turning on the unit. This starts the camera in the recording mode and also resets the machine.

If neither of the above solutions work, try using a different cassette tape. Sometimes, the tape will slip when the camera does a self-test and a new cassette might not have the slack issue. This can trigger the error. Otherwise, the GR-D770U needs service. I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

I have glued a small plastic square over the "switch" on the cassette that presses down more on the sensor in the camera so it can sense that on the cassette and it should clear the tape cassette. Better still have a camera tech adjust the sensor in the camera. Good luck

1. Condensation is detected – If condensation is detected by the camcorder, the “Remove the Cassette” warning may occur.
2. Component failure – If an electrical or mechanical component in the camcorder fails, the safety mode may activate to prevent any further damage to the camcorder.
3. Sand or grit damage – The camcorder’s tape drive mechanism consists of many tiny gears. Sand or grit can cause a gear to jam and stop turning. This will cause the camcorder's safety mode to activate.
4. Impact damage – If a camcorder is accidentally dropped or bumped against a hard surface, it is possible that a misalignment of the tape drive mechanism may occur.
5. Liquid damage – If either the camcorder or the tape is exposed to water or any other liquid, a variety of malfunctions may result. Please avoid this situation.
6. Improper videotape insertion – If a tape is forced into the cassette compartment, or if the cassette compartment is pressed down while the tape is loading, damage may occur to the tape drive mechanism. Please refer to the User's Manual.
7. Damaged or defective tape – If a tape becomes damaged, please discontinue its use.

Operational Recovery Steps
Depending on the conditions that caused this message to appear, it is possible that the camcorder operation may recover. Please follow these steps:

1. Eject the videotape
   Insert a new or known good videotape. If the message does not persist, it is possible that the tape was damaged. If the camcorder still displays the message with a new tape, please proceed to step 2.
2. If condensation had been detected causing the Remove the Cassette warning, remove the cassette, and allow at least one hour for the moisture to dry.

Use camera without tape

Often in this situation there are two issues that can casue the problem you are having. 1. The tape is casuing the camera to "reject" it. In other words, it thinks there is something wrong with the tape so it is warning you with the error message. Perhaps the cassette has been damaged slightly. This error can also happen when the tape has been used often or taped over a few times. Solution: Try using a new tape. 2. The camera may need to be cleaned. The recording heads may be dirty and it doesn't matter what tape is placed in there. Purchase a cleaning tape from a consumer electronics store. Make sure you read the directions very carefully. These are cheap fixes. If it works, great. Otherwise it may need to be serviced by your local technician. Let me know how it goes.

try this quick fix. check and see if the video head is bound. I have seen alot of these stick. put your figure on the top edge of the head only and see if is free spinning on not. sometimes you can more it one way or the other and free it up. this problem could also just require a tape path cleaning. anything sticky on the tape path or head will cause this.