Exabyte EZ17 problems

[flux1968]

I am getting Error 203 and 206 messages whenever I try to back up with the Exabyte EZ17. The messages refer to dirty heads or other hardware problems. i'm using 225m AMe tapes which are supposed to SmartClean. I've already replaced the tapes with new ones and I'm still getting these messages. What else should I be checking for?

 

 

 

I am running OS 9.1 with Retrospect 4.3. The backup machine is an Exabyte EZ17 attached to an Adaptec 39160 card.

 

 

[AmyJ]

Device Troubleshooting:

 

 

 

With a 206 or error, the first thing you want to try is a new tape. If the new tape works, then the tape you are seeing the error with is bad. If you see the error on all tapes, you can look into the following possibilities:

 

 

 

1) a dirty tape drive. Clean the drive.

 

 

 

2) another device on your SCSI bus is interfering with the tape drive's communication. Turn off your Mac and the SCSI devices. Make sure your SCSI ID numbers don't conflict. Disconnect all SCSI devices except for the tape drive.

 

 

 

3) you have a bad cable. Replace the SCSI cable that connects the tape drive to the computer after removing other devices and cables from the SCSI chain.

 

 

 

4) you are missing a terminator or have a bad terminator. The last device and ONLY the last device in your SCSI chain needs to be terminated. Try replacing the terminator if you already have one on the chain.

 

 

 

5) the computer may be having a problem. Install Retrospect on another Macintosh and try the tape drive there as the only SCSI device.

 

 

 

6) the drive may be defective. If you have implemented all of the preceding steps and get failures on multiple tapes after changing cables, terminators and computers, then the drive, being the only factor that has not changed, is the culprit--send it back to your vendor for repairs.