Advice for tape drive repair / maintenance

[Chuck Guzis]

On 18 Dec 2006 at 13:15, Joachim Thiemann wrote:

> Hmmm, my next idea - just for obtaining the data, not the long-term
> preservation of the drive - is to write a quick and dirty script or C
> program to read the data off the drive slooooowly.  After all, it took
> a considerable number of minutes of the drive going at full speed to
> cause the rubber to fail.

Maybe, but recall that you're dealing with a streaming drive, so it's 
read a block, stop, back up and get a running start, and read the 
next one.  That "backing up" is what would concern me--any "goo" that 
came off the roller would lodge itself between the tape layers and 
make  a perfect setup for stripping oxide from the substrate.

Cheers,
Chuck