Onstream USB30 Spitting out tapes

[Malaak121]

I went to use my onstream tape drive which I hadn't used for a while only to find that it wouldn't accept the tapes. It would read them for a couple of minutes then spit them out. I cleaned the heads but no joy.

I removed the software and reinstalled but that didn't work.

I bought another usb30 drive from ebay and had the same problem, which is too much a coincidence for my liking.

Cables were replaced also.

One thing I do notice is that with The 1Vision Virtual Drive device which is installed under the list of Disk Drives. Under Properties, the options "Removable" is cleared and unchecked whilst "Int 13 Unit" is checked and greyed out therefore not allowing me to uncheck it.

Can anybody tell me in simple terms how to uncheck this box as it won't let do it.

This may work or not but at least it will be a start.

Max

 

[stegosaurus]

Take the tapes apart and manually fast forward them until they are mid-tape, and then try inserting them into the newer drive and see if it finds the servo track...

By what a few others on the forum have found, it seems as though the tapes get rewound to tape end, well past the servo signal on the tape. The drive attempts to find the servo signal by rewinding the tape, only to encounter the Tape End holes on the tape, and then aborts the mission.

To take the tape apart, turn the tape over on a flat surface, and remove the four screws. then, CAREFULLY lift the steel back up and away, angling it a bit to the front to clear the rewind knob. Inside the cartridge there will be these two metal springs: they must stay within the raised-plastic square indentation they are in in order to be reassembled properly.

On the steel back you just took out there will be two spools: the one closest to the door of the cartridge is the one you will want to wind the tape onto, until it is slightly bigger than the spool. Use something like a compass point or another sharp pointy object to turn the Rewind roller which is that black wheel next to the door: DONT touch the tape, and DONT try to wind the tape by turning the spools.

Once you have enough tape rewound onto the spool, reassemble the tape in the reverse way you took it apart, and stick it into the drive... the drive SHOULD rewind a bit, then fast forward as it reads the tape.