how do i get to raw? it is not one of my choices.

it is a canon 300d digital rebel and raw does not seem to be one of my choices , but the manual says it should be.

WHat I would do is reset the camera. This is a fairly easy procedure which involves either going into your setup menu and choosing "reset" (or intialize), holding down the menu key for 5 seconds, or, removing the batteries for a few minutes. It may be that the firmware loading got corrupted and the camera just needs to be "rebooted," which is something that turning it on/off won't accomplish. But after which, you should have the camera reset to factory default settings.

Another tip is to go to Canon's website and look for firmware updates. Download and install them.

If you can't access RAW then, either it isn't really available in the mode your in (some cameras only make RAW available as an option in manual only) or your camera needs servicing.

You can not go into raw mode in full auto, you must be in a manual mode, then hit your menu and go to quality, it will be an option there. When you put the camera back into full auto however, you will not be shooting in RAW mode. You will only be able to shoot in the RAW mode in what ever mode you set it up in. (Manual).