How to Repair LTO Tapes

What is LTO tape?
Linear Tape-Open (or LTO tape) is a magnetic tape information depository technology that was originally developed in the late 1990s as an open standard option to the copyrighted magnetic tape formats, available at that time. Seagate, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM initiated the LTO Consortium, which masterminds expansions and handles licensing and certification of media and mechanism manufacturers. The standard form-factor of LTO technology is known as Ultrium, the authentic version of which was published in 2000 and could hold 100 GB of data in a single cartridge. The most recent edition was released in 2007 and can hold 800 GB in the same sized cartridge. Since 2002, LTO has been the best selling "super tape" format and is most commonly used with small and large computer systems, mainly for backup. Its distinction can be assigned to both the innovative technology acquired as well as the smart pricing.
LTO tape drives have been divided into LTO tape generations those consists of LTO-1 tape, LTO-2 backup tape, LTO-3 storage tape, LTO-4 tape drive and LTO-5 tape. Each of these having its own specifications but still the LTO-5 tape is considered to be the latest generations. Yet tape media manufacturers are not limited to their latest edition and they are going to announce LTO-6 and LTO-7 tapes as well for more storage capacity and more reliability.
How to repair LTO Tape Drive Cartridges?
A problem with LTO Tape drive may occur for various numbers of reasons. The most common problems take place when a magnetic tape is not placed in correctly. A stumble in the procedure, the drive goes through while testing to load the tape can also occur. Repairing a complexity is not as difficult as it seems. However, you must be unrelenting, so as to not cause further loss. Read on to learn how to fix a LTO drive.

Step 1 - Open the drive or carefully remove it from the changer. Be ready to take anything else apart that may get in your way. Be sure to lay the removed parts out neatly and label them to avoid confusion when replacing them.
Step 2 - Take the clear housing and spool apart. Be sure to remember which way is up.
Step 3 - Examine the leader carefully. The end of the leader thins to a slim, 1/2 inch or so part, then it flares into a flat knob at the end. If any of these flares on the end are missing, or the entire end is severed off, you have a very serious problem.
Step 4 - Thread the leader back through the rollers and feeder if the leader was not damaged. This act is best done with the spool out. Behind the spool there is a piece of plastic that needs to come off. Once you remove this piece of plastic, try spooling it again. It will only fit one way so once you get the hang of it, this step is comparatively simple.
Step 5 - Get the leader past the roller. Where the tape usually goes, there will be a small mechanism. The job of this mechanism is to stab the tape leader with the drive leader, then get out of the way so the drive can start spooling. This process is done by holding the drive leader on a little hook on its underside. This hook goes through a hole an inch or two away from the end of the leader.
Step 6 - Replace any of the items you had to remove during this process.
Step 7 - Power it up and see what happens.
Step 8 - Put an old tape in and see if it loads. If it does, you have successfully fixed the problem. If it does not, you may need to meet a trained professional about the trouble.

How to clean LTO tape drives?
Although keeping a tape drive unsoiled is important, usual cleaning cartridges are rude and using it more often will reduce the drive's lifetime. HP LTO-1 drives Generation have a cleaning tactics that will save the drive from actually using the cleaning tape if it is not really required. There is a built-in mechanism that also deals with cleaning tasks base on error rate criteria and time. The internal tape head cleaner also become activated when the cleaning cartridge is loaded. HP LTO Generation 2,3,4 using a Universal Cleaning Cartridge will always clear when a cleaning cartridge is inserted, irrespective of whether the drive needs to be clean-up or not.

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