IBM Support

Tape Backup - What should I do if the tape drive is having difficulty reading the cartridge?

Troubleshooting


Problem

Try the following proceedures: Try another tape after exiting, then re-starting the software. Retension the tape. This is an important procedure whenever encountering any type of problem with tapes on SCSI or ATAPI (IDE) minicartridge tape driv

Resolving The Problem

Try the following proceedures:
 

  • Try another tape after exiting, then re-starting the software.
  • Retension the tape. This is an important procedure whenever encountering any type of problem with tapes on SCSI or ATAPI (IDE) minicartridge tape drives.
  • Regular cleaning of the tape head will allow proper transfer of data. Please refer to the "Cleaning the Tape Drive" section in your installation manual or the Maintenance section for your specific tape drive on this site for detailed information.
  • Was the tape made by another tape drive? Can the other tape drive still read the tape?
  • Read problems may indicate a head alignment problem or incompatible environment.
  • Check for environmental issues and verify media compatibility.
  • If you are using your tape drive under DOS or Windows 3.x, increase the available conventional memory by loading drivers or TSR's into upper memory. Increasing files and buffers above the minimum requirement may be helpful. Please refer to your DOS manual for instructions.
 
NOTE: Your backup software requires a minimum of 520K of available conventional memory to function correctly. Optimum performance can be achieved by increasing the conventional memory above 520K.
 
 

Document Location

Worldwide

Operating System

System x Hardware Options:All operating systems listed

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Document Information

Modified date:
28 January 2019

UID

ibm1MIGR-4EMTT3