Operation
5243 Tape Drive Installation and User’s Guide — 542758-003
3 -7
Cleaning Tape Cartridges
Cleaning Tape Cartridges
HP recommends cleaning the tape drive weekly using a cleaning cartridge. Do not use
swabs or other means to clean the heads. The cleaning cartridge uses a special tape
to clean the tape heads. A cleaning cartridge can only be used 50 times or as
instructed on the cartridge packaging. Always place a check mark in a box each time
you use the cartridge to clean the tape drive. Replace the cleaning cartridge when all
the boxes are checked.
1. Insert a cleaning cartridge into the tape drive. The tape drive automatically loads
the cartridge and cleans the heads.
At the end of the cleaning cycle, the tape drive ejects the cartridge. The cleaning
cycle takes approximately 30 to 60 seconds.
If the cleaning cartridge is not ejected, it has probably expired. In that case, press
the Eject button, discard the cleaning cartridge and repeat the operation with a
new one.
2. Remove the cleaning cartridge from the tape drive.
Handling Tape Cartridges
•
Do not touch the tape media.
•
Do not attempt to clean the tape path or tape guides inside the cartridge.
•
Do not leave cartridges in excessively dry or humid conditions. Do not leave
cartridges in direct sunlight or in places where magnetic fields are present (for
example, under telephones, next to monitors, or near transformers).
•
Do not drop cartridges or handle them roughly.
•
Do not stick more than one label onto the cartridge label area; extra labels can
cause the cartridges to jam in the tape drive. Stick labels onto the label area only.
•
For storage conditions, see the insert included with the tape cartridge .
