Quantum LTO-2 User Manual

Chapter 3  Operation
Drive Maintenance

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LTO-2 Half-Height Tape Drive User’s Guide

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If, during storage and/or transportation, a data cartridge has been 

exposed to conditions outside the above range, it must be conditioned 

before use in the operating environment. The conditioning process 

requires exposure to the operating environment for a time equal to, or 

greater than, the time away from the operating environment, up to a 

maximum of 24 hours.
• Keep the cartridge away from direct sunlight and heat sources, such 

as radiators, heaters, or warm air ducts.

• Keep the cartridge away from sources of electromagnetic fields, such 

as telephones, computer monitors, dictation equipment, mechanical 

or printing calculators, motors, magnetic tools, and bulk erasers.

• Avoid dropping the cartridges. 

This can damage components inside the cartridge, possibly rendering 

the tape unusable. If a tape is dropped it is advisable to open the 

cartridge door and make sure that the leader pin is in the correct 

position. A dropped cartridge should be retensioned before use.

• Do not bulk erase Ultrium cartridges. 

Bulk-erased cartridges cannot be reformatted by the tape drive and 

will be rendered unusable.

Drive Maintenance

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The Ultrium drive requires little or no maintenance. However, the drive 

mechanism may need to be cleaned.

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Excessive tape debris or other material may accumulate on the tape heads 

if the drive is used with non-approved media or operated in a hot, dusty 

environment. In this case, the drive may experience excessive errors 

while reading or writing, and the amber 

 LED remains on 

continuously during operation. This means that the drive heads need to 

be cleaned.