Found my old Sony DCR-TVR110E which I had written off years ago. Thought I'd copy all of my old tapes over to HDD, but got the dreaded C:31-42 error.
After googling the problem, I found the recommendation of firmly slapping the side of the camera a few times. Found the advice strange and somewhat dramatic, but after I saw the same advice on multiple sites, I thought I'd give it a try as I had nothing to loose.
And Lo and Behold, it worked!!
The camera now both records and plays tapes like it's new!
Recommended to anybody who experiences the same problem.
Cheapest fix I've ever tried. :-)
SR
October 2011