Why is my canon A460 lens barrel not retract and gives an error message?

• 1. Begin by turning the power on and off 4 times. If this does not work, remove the battery with the power still on, wait about 15 seconds and replace the battery. Once you have installed the battery, turn the power on. You can plug the audio/visual cable into the camera preventing the LCD screen from powering up. This will allow for more power to be directed to extending or retracting the lens.

• 2. Try using compressed air to clean around the lens barrel area, this may dislodge the debris that is preventing the lens from extending or retracting.
  
• 3. Gently tap on the bottom of the camera while holding the camera with the lens facing the ground. Try using the palm of your hand or the rubber pad on the USB compartment. You want to dislodge any dirt or debris that is lodged within the camera.

• 4. With the power OFF, place the camera flat on the table with the lens facing the ceiling. While holding the shutter button down turn on the power, this will cause the lens to auto focus hopefully seating the lens barrel guide pins.

NOTE: The next step is the most forceful procedure, therefore use extreme caution when performing. Remember, if a click is heard during this step then stop and check to see if the lens error has been resolved. Clicking sounds may indicate that the lens barrel guide pins have reset.

• 5. While turning the power on GENTLY twist, pull or push the barrel while the lens is extending or retracting. You want the barrel to move in or out evenly. The idea behind this step is to overcome the friction that is caused by misalignments or dirt within the barrel.
  
  

try these:-

• connect it to pc and on it
• vaccum the barrel of lens
• changing mem. card and batt. for 2min.
• shake it.
• on and off in different positions
• hit the part near lens softly with palm (trust me this made mine work)

check first if battery is ok, maybe your problem is your barrel, if barrel not function properly you need to change motor or barrel allignment. if barrel is ok you have short circuit in your assy pcb main.

Lens error is usually caused by mechanical faults concerning lens assembly. The lens cannot extend or retract fully, the error is detected and lens error is returned.
Sometimes this can be fixed playing with the lens during extraction or retraction to help the lens asset getting back to normal.
More often the camera lens must be disassembled and re-assembled by a technician to fix the problem.

Problem: dust in the gaps near lens which makes it jammed. Effect: the sceen shows blk color. Solution: just blow over it or vaccum it.

i'm sure it's broken(the camera) take it to a service and get it fixed....

Lens errors are fairly common. Usually it's sand or grit interfering with the lens extension mechanism. Or the camera's been dropped with the lens extended. Or the camera has been powered on, but the lens had been blocked preventing its extension.

Here's some things that you can do to try to correct it. They only seem to work for about 50% of lens errors, but they're worth a try:

http://camerarepair.blogspot.com/2007/12/fixing-lens-error-on-digital-camera.html

The following blog outlines some repair options for a lens error. They won't work for all cases, but they're worth a try if the camera's no longer under warranty:

http://camerarepair.blogspot.com/2007/12/fixing-lens-error-on-digital-camera.html

I have a Canon A460 that does this every now and then. Usually if I removed the batteries and put them back in, it does the trick. If that doesn't work, and the camera will stay on, try resetting it. Click Menu> Tools and then scroll all the way to the last option Reset All. Good luck!

Switch off and on again? Take battery out and replace. Thats the only 2 ways of 'restarting a camera that I know of. Does your model have a 'reset' function? You will have to check the manual for that. Or ask Canon support.