Media Retension

Computer tapes are similar to audio tapes in that the more you use them, rewinding and fast forwarding, the more the tape becomes uneven and loose on the spools. When a tape becomes unevenly wound, it is prone to errors, may jam, or worse yet, break. Use the Retension feature to make sure a tape is evenly wound and properly tensioned, especially if you are having trouble writing to it or reading from it.

Note: This option applies only to quarter-inch cartridge tapes.

More information:

Retension a Tape