Completing a thorough inspection

After a cartridge is purchased and before it is used, complete the following steps:

• Inspect the cartridge 's packaging to determine potential rough handling.
• When a cartridge is inspected, open only the cartridge door. Do not open any other part of the cartridge case. The upper and lower parts of the case are held together with screws; separating them destroys the usefulness of the cartridge.
• Inspect the cartridge for damage before it is used or stored.
• Inspect the rear of the cartridge (the part that loads first into the tape load compartment) and ensure that there are no gaps in the seam of the cartridge case (see  1  in Figure 1 and  4  in Figure 2). If there are gaps in the seam (see Figure 1), the leader pin might be dislodged. Go to Repositioning or reattaching a leader pin.

  

• Check that the leader pin is properly seated (see  2  in Figure 1).
• If you suspect that the cartridge was mishandled but it appears usable, copy any data onto a good cartridge immediately for possible data recovery. Discard the mishandled cartridge.
• Review handling and shipping procedures.