Err 5 Help

I have a 7D and never used the on board flash....untill I get into the middle of Africa and find the flash will not come up. I have turned the camera off and back on with no luck, I took the batterys out and it. still will not come up. Is there a way around this without sending it back.....its cramping me with a lot of photographs.
ny sugestions will be appreciated.

From Canon DLC:
"Err 05: Built-in flash obstruction
The camera detects that the built-in flash has not reached its normal, raised position for flash shooting, and is halting operation until the obstruction to the flash is cleared, or the flash is pushed back down to its OFF position."

Have you tried pushing the flash down? It sounds like it may be in between up and down?

Inside the hotshoe rails(on the right as the camera is viewed from behind, I think) is a microswitch that detects when an external flash is attached. This switch sometimes gets stuck in the down position making the camera think that a flash is in the shoe, and thus it thinks that it can't raise the inboard flash.

This switch can usually be freed by prying it gently with a thin bladed knife.

rrblint wrote in post #15136230
Inside the hotshoe rails(on the right as the camera is viewed from behind, I think) is a microswitch that detects when an external flash is attached. This switch sometimes gets stuck in the down position making the camera think that a flash is in the shoe, and thus it thinks that it can't raise the inboard flash.

This switch can usually be freed by prying it gently with a thin bladed knife.

This is correct and usually solves the problem.

A wooden toothpick will work, too.

Thanks guys I am at the end of the trip now and have had no internet connection but will look for the microswitch before sending it for repaire