Here at work, a petroleum engineering consulting firm in Austin, we have a number of nigh-ancient (read: older than me) 9-track tapes that were used as backups way-back-when. In trying to find out if there’s anything that needs to be preserved on them (to free up space in the server room), I found that the ends of the tape have become sticky, and gum up the reader when used. Any of you old-skool computer gurus have suggestions as to how to fix this problem?
How much of the end is sticky and gummy?
My experience with 9-track tapes is that there is always more tape than necessary before the reflective marker. You can usually cut off 1 or 2 feet of the end of the tape and still have plenty of leader for the tape to load.
The trick to 9-track is keep it clean, clean, clean.
…usually with isopropyl alchohol.
It’s called stiction, and several tape companies here in Houston specialize in dealing with it. Email me at mafladata_at_aol if you want some names (replace the at with the “at” character and add a dot and a com to the end).