Most common problems found with tape drive systems include the following:
Media problems
Dirty read/write heads
Cabling and power connections
Controller card
Device drivers
When diagnosing tape drive problems, always rule out the possibility of media problems first. Similar to the floppy drives, tape cartridges also tend to wear out with use and thereby become bad. When the cartridge is written to by another device, you might come across an incompatibility problem arising between the two devices.
The last type of media problem may actually result because of the software. Most of the available backup software such as ArcServe or Legato comes with an expiration date on the tape's internal label. However, the standard expiration date is one year, and if the cartridge has been in use for a period longer than that, it is probably high time that you disposed it. By using another cartridge you can determine if there is a media problem.
