Camera won't take a photo?

I have a Nikon D40X Digital SLR and i'm not a complete idiot and i'm not the best photographer in the world but I wanted a half decent camera to take some nice photos. Problem is when I go to take a photo on the auto setting it focuses and just doesn't take the photo as if there's something wrong. Sometimes it works perfectly with no problems at all. Is this a stupid problem? Like some sort of setting thats not allowing the camera to take a picture under certain conditions or something? Any help would be appreciated as i'm getting annoyed of missing a good shot because my cam lets me down

Cheers Jason

Try a different mode. Like if you're taking a pic of a person, try the portrait mode, or if you're taking a macro, use the macro setting, or if you're taking a pic of a scene, use the scene setting. That might help it adjust its focusing length. And are you pressing the button the full way down? Like if you press it half way it focuses, but you need to press it further down to take a pic.

1. You might need to format your memory card
2. Try to press the picture button only halfway, and click it full after it focus on the object.

There's only one solution… Stop letting the camera tell you what it will and won't do and learn to use your DSLR as it was intended… In Manual mode.