I have a Sony FD Mavica Camera....when i put the disk in it makes a clicking-like noise .........?

Question

IT THEN GIVES ME A MSG ON THE SCREEN THAT SAYS FORMAT ERROR.....i HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE....WHAT'S GOING ON AND HOW DO I FIX IT?

Answer 1

Ah, the Mavica... I remember when they were the cutting edge of digital camera technology. But time has moved on, and you can get a smaller digital camera with much better resolution and optical zoom for a fraction of the price that classic cost when new. Today, you can do very well under $150 or even under $100, if you watch the sales. I just got a 6 megapixel HP M735 for a family member for $95 last summer.

That being said, I agree that it looks like the floppy drive is out of alignment or may have seen better days. That's one of the reasons computers have moved away from that type of storage. Check at www.sonystyle.com to find the nearest authorized service center to you and see what they say. To be honest, it will probably cost much more than the camera is worth.

Hope that helps you a bit.

Answer 2

The floppy drive isn't reading the disk properly- thats what the clicking noise is. The drive may have gone bad (which wouldn't be surprising give the age of the camera), but first just try another disk.

If the drive really is failing, you'll have to take it to a camera repair shop- any authorized Sony dealer can arrange to have Sony replace the drive. Of course the prices of digital cameras have dropped dramatically over the last 8-9 years so it's probably cheaper to get a newer, better camera than to repair obsolete technology like the Mavica FD. But get a quote first, see how much they'd charge.