Backup Tapes

My backup tape won't eject what shall I do?

There are a number of reasons why this could happen:

1. The tape just needs some more time to rewind or complete what its doing
2. The tape is in use – possibly something has gone wrong with the backup and it is still running 3. The backup program or controlling software using the tape drive has failed and left the drive locked
4. The tape is damaged and has jammed
5. The drive is damaged and is jammed

I am going to assume that you have made a few attempts to eject the tape, and waiting for more than 10 minutes as the drive may need to rewind the tape before spitting it out. You should also check that your backup software isn’t running and has locked the tape as its using it. If your software is running try using the software to eject the tape.

At this point, if you have a warranty or support for your server you should call them. Most drives have an eject button on the front of the server and you can often get the drive to force the tape out by holding down the eject button. Some drives you need to do this whilst powering the drive up – hold down the eject button and then switch on the drive. Many drives are built into the server as you don’t have access to the drives power - in which case you will need to shutdown and power off the server to do this.

If all this fails – call your support people or the manufacturer of the drive – it is likely you have either a damaged tape (in which case you need an engineer to remove it without damaging the drive) – or you have a damaged drive in which case you need a replacement.