VTC

It IS a folder, kind of. It's called a PACKAGE. Control+Click, right click, whatever click to get inside. For AVCHD you'll need to do this a few times. AVCHD then yields > BMVD then yields > STREAM folder which contains video. (This will help anyone finding a mega huge file (likely a package) without a clue as to why it's so big, what's inside, and how do I get to the goods.)

New? Send it back and exchange for another one. Bought A7Sii local a few years back. Within two weeks it developed a blue pixel anomaly visible only shooting 4K. Visited camera shop, showed the problem, and they swapped it out for another one all within 10 minutes. THAT'S why I shop local... for the immediacy of things. Could be a simple software issue but a hardware issue makes it more serious. You can try resetting camera back to default everything but I'd still worry me it could return. Start off fresh getting an exchange unit. (Congrats on the cat. Not so much the camera.)

It's easier to avoid nonproductive comments made by clinical pinheads. (Hey, this one may qualify on that count.)

Keep doing it your way, which is also my way. Never have suffered a 'corrupted' anything. No telling what that guy did wrong but the most likely thing is not unmounting the card (then waiting a few seconds for the i/o operations to cease) first before he yanks it out. I copy to computer but also leave files on the card until I verify everything transferred successfully. I'll batch rename the file extensions on the card to lowercase after the transfer as a way to signify which files made it to the computer with anything remaining UPPERCASE telling me it only exists on the card and nowhere else. (If you're concerned about data corruption while in the reader then slide the lock switch making it 'read only' before inserting.)

Your shutter fix pretty much mirrors my experience* as far as pricing goes though I'd insist they replace the part. Had a shutter leaf bind up preventing it from opening all the way. Manually reset it myself but after it happened a second time there was no way I'd trust the thing to not get caught again with those microscopic tolerances and all. It's false economy to keep it after how many activations? A new shutter gets you back to zero again. *...Used Precision Camera twice. Once for a stuck shutter assembly (Think of horizontal blinds in the lowered position and having the cat jump at the birds at the feeder just outside the window) in 2018 for $260...

Hope you remember to come back after things get sorted out to let us know what the problem was and the cost. It may help some other misfortunate sort in a similar situation in the future.

When connected to the computer all that time any minuscule spike back-feeding into the USB port, HDMI port, or the power supply could take out something. Folks will be deciding to hire judging the quality of the product produced and hopefully not from the quality of some webcam stream.

Used Precision Camera twice. Once for a stuck shutter assembly (Think of horizontal blinds in the lowered position and having the cat jump at the birds at the feeder just outside the window) in 2018 for $260 something and the last time for a menu system that kept rotating through menu items, image review, and time zone selections randomly on its own (2020). No complaints to speak of. Likely a misunderstanding of 500 skins just to look at it. You may be able to shop the thing around for estimates ($90 is a typical 'look-at' fee around here to evaluate it} but how many of those you willing to pay for before you decide to get it fixed at a price you seem is reasonable? As someone who makes money with it $522 was doable to get mine back in 10 days time. (Hit their doorstep Aug 14 & out of repair Aug 17!) Didn't want to waste three weeks ferreting out someone who might do it for $325 after waiting for the parts to arrive. I'm certain PC is in the priority pipeline for original Sony parts since Sony itself recommends them.

I'm with you on this one. I doubt ANY web cam video is important enough to use $4K worth of equipment to punt out to dismal web resolution viewing. Like buying 100# of sugar when you only have a 1# bag to carry it home in. He'll soon discover a $100 cam is adequate while he awaits for his to be repaired. That's a 'spensive lesson to be learned here.

There was a patch issued at the beginning of Feb that corrected that. Looked for the link but my history doesn't go back that far. Came across it on Reddit. Search there.

It's not likely they have a stock of buttons laying about for such an odd problem. Unless they cannabalize one from an abandoned or unrepairable camera it may take time to source one up. More likely they'll replace the mechanism as an entity instead of the sole missing 'hub cap'.

Mine's thinner and without that massive growth on it.

This just in to my brain.... I recall where other people were having problems due to a Google something service running in the background, Drive perhaps? Once they killed that all things worked so explore that avenue.

Using the cable that came with the Sony? It's a special cable of sorts and others may or may not work at various times on various computers. I've labeled mine so l know it's the Sony provided one after many bouts of success & then failures by grabbing any orphaned cable laying about. Using Sony cable with Sony camera has never failed me after finding that important distinction. - - - - - Might be a difficult search. There are no SONY branding marks on mine other than the USB indicator on the fat end and a USB indicator with an accompanying B on the smaller / camera end.

If you change the name of the folder on the card to some other nomenclature other than what the camera expects then you won't be able to view them in camera ever again. You'll get a ? mark overlaying a black screen. They're still on the card but you won't be able to pull them up or delete them in camera either since it doesn't know where the image ran off to, thus the question mark. BTW, I believe that 2970 is somehow keyed to the batch of photos taken on that date. It expects things to be in a tidy order. There're invisible / hidden files that keep track of these things... Browse these two posts along similar lines: Best to do all your renaming off card.