Lens will not retract. camrea frozen my camera will flicker on and off and the lens will not retract. it is a kodak M763, first time this has happened.

Does not look good at all. Try this:
remove the battery. Charge the battery, or place another charged battery. Close the battery cover and switch the camera on.
I hope it now will retract the lens.
Most of the time you only can manage to freeze a camera with the lens in that position, when you remove the battery. That is unwise, because the camera does not know in what position the lens is, when you place the battery and switch on.
If the camera was switched out correctly and it could not retract the lens, it could be there is a mechanical problem in the lens barrel, or the motor (steering) is defect.
Sometimes camera's just die too.
I wide you luck while reviving your camera.

Try the procedures in this tip.

Lens error, you need to get it fixed or replace. Very common problem on these telescoping lens cameras.

This is an issue common to these cameras, in my opinon these cams are junk. If its under warranty take or send it back and they will send a new one. If its off warranty you could still send it in, but the cost may be something you dont want to absorb. Have you contacted support for Kodak, they might be able to help, if you could find someone, good luck with that.

Have you made sure that the batteries are LiIon and fully charged? I had a similar problem with a Kodak Easyshare camera that required the higher voltage LiIon battery pack rather than alkaline AAs which will fit in there but is not exactly right.

It doesn't unscrew. You have to dismantle the camera to get at the lens. Why?....what's wrong?

Hello

The problem is that the lens has become stuck in the barrel after dropping it, or sand particles hinged in between the barrel and the housing. There are some DIY solutions you could try, but the probability is that you will have to get it fixed by a professional.

Use these at own risk as it may further damage the camera.

Firstly , try connecting your ac adapter or usb cable.

Try holding the shutter button while switching on the camera.

Look at the lens , and if some of the lens 'circles' is misaligned or not concentric then try wiggling it (while holding camera lens down).

Try gently pushing or pulling the lens when it extends but this is risky as it may cause the lens barrel to slip out of its guidance system.

Another way to do this is to place the camera lens down on a hard surface and then power it up. Be sure to use a soft cloth or something similar as to not scratch your lens or casing. Let the lens push the camera up and down a few times and sometimes the little resistance provided by the camera is enough to get things going again.

Try hitting your camera near the lens on the body with the soft tissue on the palm of your hand.

Other than that , I would take the camera to a repair center for a evaluation to see if it would cost more to repair than to replace the camera.

If it is still under warranty I would suggest you take it in before trying any of these steps and remove any off-brand batteries or accessories as some stores are really fussy about warranty repairs on camera's with non-brand accessories.

Hope the advise is useful.

Regards
Andrea

Try this link:

http://www.fixya.com/support/r4696998-camera_lens_not_extend_retract_maybe_bat

Your problem is likely due to weak/worn out batteries or corrosion on the battery contacts inside the camera which can prevent the full power of the batteries from flowing into the camera. Try this free fix before you do anything else: remove the batteries and wipe the camera contacts firmly with a dry cloth (heavy corrosion may require cleaning with a wire brush, steel wool, or sandpaper). Remove any residue that may have fallen into the battery compartment during cleaning, then wipe both ends of the batteries and place them back in the camera. This cleaning clears the problem about 90% of the time. If it doesn't work for you, chances are that your batteries need to be replaced because they're just too worn to properly power the camera. And then, of course, there's the possibility that your camera may have a problem that requires professional repair.

If you have recently dropped the camera you may have damaged the lens tube (housing). This damage will prevent the lens from moving properly and will cause the camera to shut itself off after a few seconds. If the lens is damaged the camera will require professional repair. If the lens is not damaged, the problem may be battery related. Make sure that you have the correct battery type installed, and that the batteries are fresh/fully charged. If the problem persists, you may have corrosion on the battery contacts inside that camera that is preventing full battery power from flowing to the camera. Remove the batteries and wipe the inside camera contacts firmly with a dry cloth (heavy corrosion may require cleaning with a wire brush, steel wool, or sand paper). Remove any residue that may have fallen into the battery compartment during cleaning, then wipe both ends of the batteries and reinstall them in the camera. This cleaning solves the problem about 90% of the time, and I hope it works for you.