Special Formulations for All DLTtape Drives Five important cleaning tips Special Formulations for All DLTtape Drives As DLTtape drives and media have improved, the need for head cleaning has reduced significantly. However, environmental factors, cleanliness of operating locations and high duty cycles can impact drive performance. When cleaning is needed, specially formulated cleaning cartridges cankeep DLTtape drives running strong. DLTtape cleaning cartridges are designed to ensure the right level of care for each specific DLTtape drive head. Cartridges work in conjunction with cleaning algorithms in the tape drive’s firmware to ensure that performance and reliability are not compromised. Why take risks with your mission-critical data? Keep your DLTtape drives at optimal performance with DLTtape cleaning cartridges. Five important cleaning tips 1. Always clean drives when cleaning is indicated through the cleaning light or through the backup software. The drive constantly monitors its performance and will trigger cleaning events. 2. Only use a cleaning cartridge when cleaning is indicated through your backup software, or when the drive's cleaning light is illuminated. Cleaning on a preset schedule, rather than when requested by the drive, leads to excessive wear, diminishing drive life and performance. 3. Using a cleaning cartridge more than 20 times results in ineffective head cleaning. Always mark the label on your cleaning cartridge. After the cartridge has been used 20 times, it must be retired. 4. Know which DLTtape cleaning cartridge works for your drive. A full range of DLTtape cleaning cartridges are available. Each was developed for optimal read/write head performance with its matching drive. Review the Cleaning Cartridge Compatibility chart on this data sheet to determine which cartridge can be used with your drive. 5. Periodically check for drive firmware updates on the web. Updates to firmware may include improved cleaning algorithms or other enhancements that will help keep your drive running at optimal performance.