DLT Help

[Steve_42]

I have got a HP surestore 40e DLT drive, the problem is, The handle that you push down when you insert a tape has been put down with no tape in the drive, so it is empty, pressing the eject button does not do anything, is there any way that the door can be opened (i.e software or something) i am sorry if this is a stupid post, but i have no manuals what so ever for this drive. Thank You

P.S. This thread has been moved from Storage>General to Tape Libraries and Drives. -HP Forum Moderator

[David Navarro]

Hi test it with a DLT, and I have no problem for move this part up and down (without tape).

Years ago, I remember (in DATs devices), when a tape is blocked into or similar, you can do a reset pressing and holding for 1 or 2 minutes eject button. Is a stupid test, but try it.

[Sanjay_6]

Hi Steve,

I believe you can pull the handle up if there is no DLT in the drive. The other choice is to switchoff the drive and pull the handle up and switch it back on if the first step does not work for you.

Hope this helps.

thanks

[Sanjay_6]

Hi Steve,

Just experimented on my DLT 40e. With the driver power on, and no DLT in the drive you can raise or push down the handle. With the drive power off you can do neither. Now it is your turn.

Hope this helps.

thanks

[Sanjay_6]

Hi Steve,

Look at the thread below for more help on DLT 40e

http://www.hp.com/cposupport/D_index1/hpsurestor9686_1.html

Hope this helps.

thanks

[Steve_42]

Hello again, thank you very much for the help and speed of response you have given so far, but unfortunately i still can not get the damn thing open. If i try to pull the handle up it gives a lot of resistance and i feel that if i keep pulling pulling something will snap. Also a DLT tape will not go into the drive as it just hits something just inside the opening.

[Steve_42]

I have just run the diagnostics program and that reports the drive as a DLT 4000. Does this change things??

(i presume it does)

[Sanjay_6]

Hi Steve,

No that is okay. You should be seeing the drive as DLT 4000 immaterial of whether you are using interbnal drive or external drive. For the system that does not make any difference. Still i don't understand, with the drive power on, you should be able to use the handle. Did you try pressing the Eject switch and using the handle after that. It may work.

Hope this helps.

thanks

[Dave Wherry]

From the command line of the host try the following:
mt -t /dev/rmt/0m offl

If it is not device 0m substitute the correct device file. This tells the drive to unload a tape. I have not tried this so I can not verify if it will work. Give it a shot.

[Steve_42]

Hello again, im still stuck, if i press the eject button, it will start to go through the normal process it would do if there where a tape in there, the busy light flashes. After a few minutes, it will realise that there is some sort of problem there and all of the LED's down the right hand side of the drive will start to flash together. The handle is still unmovable throughout this, pressing eject again will start it all off again. I am running the drive on windows NT, but the above post has made me wonder if there is some sort of program that i could get hold of that would force an eject or maybe a recent firmware, or would the fact that it is not ejected cause a problem with this?

Again i would like to thank you for your responses on this subject.

- Steve

[Sanjay_6]

Hi Steve,

Is your drive plugged into a system. Also is it terminated. Terminate it if it is not terminated and plus it into a system if it is not plugged in and then try.

thanks

[Steve_42]

Yes, the drive is plugged in to a machine running windows NT, also it is correctly terminated. The drive was working fine before the handle had been pushed down. I have tried with the computer on and off.

[Harold Veatch]

Steve,
Sounds like you have a bugcheck error on your drive. Download the product manual at http://www.quantum.com. It is at service/support manuals.

[Alan R. Yin]

Is there any LED flashing on the right hand side of the drive when you trying to pull the handle? If the drive in normal condition, the "operate handle" green LED should be on. Try this way: lift the handle until it can't go any further and hold for about 30 seconds, the green LED should be on, then you can open it.

[Steve_42]

Hello, again. When i hold the handle as far as it goes, after a little while the operate handle LED starts to flash, but the handle will sill not go any higher, if i release the handle it will start giong through the motions as if i had just put a tape in there. When the drive decides that there is no tape all of the LEDS down the right hand side of the drive will start to flash.

[Doug Rauenzahn]

If you look into the cartridge opening, you should see a latch to the right. The latch is used to both retain a tape and keep the door from opening. Reach in and gently rotate the latch back out of the cartridge bay to the right. With it held back, open the handle.