Importance Of Compaq Approved Tapes; Tape Drive Cleaning Procedures - Compaq AIT 35 LVD Reference Manual

Importance of Compaq Approved Tapes

Compaq approved tapes are thoroughly tested to meet high-quality standards.
Before Compaq recommends a tape, the quality and reliability of the magnetic
media and the tape are evaluated. Do not use an unapproved tape as it may not be
compatible with Compaq tape drives.
The data tapes must meet these requirements:
I
Only Standard AIT 35 GB tapes, Advanced Metal Evaporate
I
Must be one of the following sizes: 170 m (557 ft) or 230 m (754 ft)
NOTE: The AIT 35 LVD drive does not support the DDS and EXABYTE formatted tapes.
IMPORTANT: Compaq recommends that only tapes purchased from qualified vendors be
used.

Tape Drive Cleaning Procedures

1. Insert the cleaning tape into the drive. The drive automatically takes the tape,
loads it, and cleans the heads.
2. When the tape is done cleaning, the drive ejects it.
3. If the drive does not eject the tape and the Status LED is flashing (see
Table 5-2), press the eject button, discard the tape, and insert a new cleaning
tape.
NOTE: This indicates the cleaning tape is exhausted. Throw away the used cleaning tape.
Take the tape out of the drive and write the cleaning date on the tape label. This
provides a record of how many times the cleaning tape has been used. The cleaning
tape typically has a life of 35 cleaning cycles.
CAUTION: Do not use alcohol or cleaning solution to clean AIT drives.
Do not clean read/write heads with a cotton swab. Fibers from a cotton swab
can cause permanent damage to the head.
Tape Drive Cleaning 6-3