AXON SYSTEMS Preventative Maintenance Procedures

The tape drive that is part of your 8131 requires periodic cleaning in order to obtain error free backups and archives. If the tape drive becomes dirty, you may get the error message "Unexpected Status" while trying to backup or archive. This error will cause the backup or archive to stop running.

The dirt that accumulates in the tape drive comes from both the environment in which the system is operated, and metal oxide particles that are rubbed off of the tape while in use. This dirt accumulates on the tape head, the tape capstan, and on the end of tape sensor.

DO NOT operate your Axon system in a dirty environment. DO NOT allow smoking in the same room. Either of these practices will require more frequent cleaning of the tape drive. You will need to clean the drive weekly if your environment is dirty, and at least monthly if it is relatively clean.

The best way to clean the tape drive is with a cotton swab and denatured or isopropyl alcohol, which can be purchased at most drug stores. Locations of the tape head (1), the tape capstan (2), and the end of tape sensor (3) are identified in FIGURE 1. These are the three parts of the drive that must be cleaned. When looking at your tape drive, push the door in (if your drive has a door) and use a flashlight to identify these parts. They are located approximately 1 7/8 inch behind the front of the drive.

Dampen the end of a cotton swab in alcohol. It is not necessary to saturate the cotton. Use a scrubbing motion and clean the shinny part of the tape head (1), clean the capstan (2), and the end of tape sensor. Repeat this until the swab no longer gets dirty. After this initial cleaning, dampen another swab in alcohol and clean everything one more time.

If you still get an "Unexpected Status" error after cleaning the drive – REPEAT the cleaning process before contacting Customer Service. At least 85% of all tape drives returned from customers as not working are ‘repaired’ by simply cleaning them thoroughly.

There is no set rule regarding how often you need to clean your drive. It will depend upon your environment and usage. If you put off cleaning your drive until you have problems, then you will probably need to clean the drive two or three times before you can successfully use it. If this happens, we suggest that you clean the drive more often.

Note that a dirty drive will not cause other system problems, nor will it cause loss of data.

Finally, you may clean the drive at any time. Most customers clean their drives just before doing an archive, and then also at other times during the month based on their operating experience.