HP Server with DAT Tape drive issues

[patrickc_1]

I have a client that has recently started to experience HP tape drive issues.

Tape drive type HP DAT72. Rev 312.

They pop the nightly tape into the drive, as used last week and the drive makes some sounds the light flashes and then spits it back out. Now I have tried the following:
new Blank media, start stop the removable storage service, restart the server, shutdown the server. Still the problem exists, is this a normal issue that happens when the drive fails or is there something else I can do to troubleshoot ?

[KMullins]

What Leds are flashing on the front of the drive?

When has the drive been cleaned last ?
Also to troubleshoot the drive install Hp Library and Tape tools on the server and check for a new firmware for the drive, it will also tell if it needs to be cleaned.

[Pieter 't Hart]

As in the previous post check wich leds are flashing and in what patern, check this with the tape-drive documentation. It probably indicates the drive needs cleaning.

Have you checked the eventlog (in case of windows os) for messages regarding the tape drive?

[Bill Bag_1]

what error message are you getting in the software you use

how new are these tapes...
maybe the software is set to not overwrite the tapes and they could be full