Patent ID: 7391585

Claim:
A method for reducing occurrences of tape stick conditions in magnetic tape, the method comprising: stopping functional rotation of each of a bi-directionally rotatable supply reel and a bi-directionally rotatable take-up reel of a reel-to-reel tape drive that includes a length of magnetic tape at least partially wound around each of said reels, a portion of said length of tape extending between said reels and contacting a head positioned between said reels, wherein said stopping creates a stop condition in said tape drive; determining if said length of tape is stuck to said head; dropping tension in said portion of said length of tape extending between said reels from full tension to zero tension; freeing said length of tape for movement in a z-direction relative to said head via said dropping tension, said z-direction running substantially parallel to a deck of said tape drive and substantially orthogonal to said length of tape; moving said head in y-directions relative to said length of tape wherein said y-directions includes movement substantially toward and away from said deck of said tape drive; moving said length of tape in an x-direction relative to said head via a rotation of said bi-directionally rotatable supply reel a fraction of a reel rotation during said stop condition; and causing said portion of said length of tape to at least temporarily break contact with said head via at least one of said dropping, said moving of said length of tape in said z-direction, said moving of said length of tape in said x-direction, and said moving of said head in said y-directions.