Canon PowerShot SD550

Red eye reduction doesn't work that well on cameras. You would be better off importing your photos into a program like Picasa and fixing the red eyes there. Picasa's red eye removal is one of the best out there and very simple to use.

What you could also try is diffusing the flash somewhat. Put a piece of tissue paper over your flash is one way to do it. Or try bouncing the light from the flash off the ceiling with a piece of card (I've even used a piece of torn paper plate to do this)

Welcome to FixYa.

The FORCED OFF mode is the setting where flash is not activated in any recording condition. this mode used when taking pictures in places where the use of the flash is not permitted.

There are other 5 different mode/setting in using photo flash.

1. AUTO - flash automatically activated according to the recording condition.

2. AUTO/Red-eye reduction - flash is automatically activated according to the recording condition. It reduces the red-eye phenomenon by triggering the flash before actually recording the picture. After that, the flash is activated for actual recording again.

3. FORCED ON - use the when your subject is back-lit or under fluorescent light.

4. FORCED ON/Red-eye reduction - use this when you set the camera to PARTY MODE

5. Slow sync./Red-eye reduction - use this when you take pictures of people in front of a dark background.

I hope this solution will help you. Just send us you comments or suggestion if this solution was helpful.

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Yes. Repeatedly press right on the multiselector (marked with a lightning bolt) to cycle through the different flash modes. The choices are Auto, Auto Red-eye Reduction, Red-eye Reduction On, On, Off, and Slow synchro. They should be described on page 9 of the Basic Camera User Guide.

If you've misplaced your user guides, you can download them from the manufacturer's web site at http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&tabact=DownloadDetailTabAct&fcategoryid=323&modelid=12913

Don't forget to change it back, or you'll get the flash on every shot thereafter.

Press the Flash button to cycle through the various modes. The Flash button is marked with a lightning bolt, and is on the right side of the multiselector. Your choices are Auto, Auto Red Eye Reduction, Red Eye Reduction On, On, Off, and Slow Synchro. Off is marked with a lightning bolt inside a circle with a slash through it.

Press Right on the cursor button (marked with the lightning bolt icon) to switch the flash setting. Your choices are AUTO, AUTO/Red-eye reduction, Forced ON, Forced ON/Red-eye reduction, Slow sync/Red-eye reduction, and Forced OFF.

Press the Flash button (the top part of the circular "joystick" button, marked with a lightning bolt) to cycle through the options. You can choose from Auto with red-eye reduction, Auto, Flash on with red-eye reduction, Flash on, and Flash off. You want the lightning bolt in a circle with a slash through it.

Hi The product you have given has Built-in flash with Auto, Forced on, Red-eye on, and forced off (Red-eye reduction On or Off).
There is a 1 1/8" diameter lens with a built-in lens cover that automatically opens and closes when the on/off button is pressed. Above the lens is the viewfinder window, flash and tiny (almost unnoticeable) microphone. There is also a small circle that has three functions: the autofocus assist beam, red-eye reduction lamp, self-timer lamp. A wrist strap comes with the camera and attaches through a slot on the front of the camera near the side.
To the right of those buttons is the four-way controller, used for menu navigation as well as:

• Up - Metering (Evaluative, center-weighted, spot)
• Down - Drive (Single-shot, continuous, self-timer)
• Left - Focus (Auto, macro, infinity)
• Right - Flash (Auto w/redeye reduction, auto, flash on w/redeye reduction, flash on, flash off)

An ideea would be pressing the button a little bit harder and a little bit longer.Most of the cameras have that orange light before the flash(that appears when you press harder on the button) to reduce the red-eye effect in the pictures.
If this doesn't work, look carefully in the manual or the settings of your camera and try to find an option that turns on the flash.Also the type of the picture(indoor, sunny, night etc) can automatically disable the flash.
As a last resort, here is the camera's manual

you can change it to no flash by when your taking a picture press the right arrow

most likely it could be stuck

you can try prying up the flash a bit not to much.

otherwise its broken, the gears that runs it, could have a broken tooth.

so it wont pop up or go up.

I’m happy to help further over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/david_92c86cbc79e9b552