Error 99

I need some input today. I had my camera in work (as always) to take some blips of our Christmas hamper (see yesterday) when this error 99 message kept coming up and my LCD screen went all Dr Who, pink and green hazy lines. Needless to say it would not take any photos. I consulted the internet and found that Error 99 could mean anything under the sun, took the camera to bits, cleaned the contacts carefully with a pencil eraser, faced south in a lotus position and hummed La Marsellaise etc etc - no joy. Brought camera home, took it to bits again to blip with my old snappy happy camera, put it back together and it worked - but for how long I wonder!!! Advice please. It's a Canon 450 and I gather I'm not alone by the number of hits and sites devoted to Error 99 on the internet.

I am anal about my magnetic poetry and it is all neatly grouped on the side of my fridge in parts of speech. These are the verbs, but I reckon there will be some clever clogs out there who will spot one which isn't. Over the years we have had fun with the magnetic poetry, not least amongst daughters' adolescent years. My mum visited soon after an 18th birthday party in which young Scottish lads in kilts slept throughout our house. Mum was 'reading the fridge' when she spotted a particularly ribald verse which I had not........hence the rearrangement. I do miss the spontaneous outpourings on the fridge now the girls and their friends are no longer at home.

I am very shocked at the close-up view of the trillions of micro-organisms inhabiting the magnetic poetry on the side of my fridge..but I doubt I'll be doing very much about it.