Tape Drive Repair
Enterprise tape drive repair for LTO, DAT, DLT and Exabyte, across every major platform.
OEM-class repair for tape drives, library robotics and controllers across actidata, BDT, DELL, Fujitsu, HPE, IBM, Lenovo, M-Logic, Magstor, Overland Data, Qualstar, Quantum, Symply and Tandberg platforms. Whether your drive is throwing error codes, running slow, showing open head channels or has failed altogether, our Wiltshire workshop diagnoses the fault at component level, repairs the head and PCB, and returns it fully vendor-tested. Advance-exchange units available from stock when downtime isn’t an option.
Same-day quote
Send us the part number and the fault. We come back the same working day.
Advance exchange
Replacement drive shipped from stock, so you're not down waiting on the repair.
90-day warranty
Return-to-base cover on every repaired drive as standard.
5–7 day turnaround
High-end drives need proper testing before return. Diagnosed, repaired and vendor-tested — typically 5–7 working days.
Choose your drive
Pick your tape drive manufacturer.
Specialist repair pages for every major LTO and legacy drive platform, with part numbers, supported drives and fixed-price repair details.
HPE
HPE StoreEver Ultrium
Full-height and half-height LTO drives from LTO-6 through LTO-10.
- N7P36A
- N7P37A
- Q6Q67A
- Q6Q68A
IBM & Lenovo
IBM TS4300 / 3555 series
LTO-6 through LTO-10 drive modules for IBM TS4300 tape libraries.
- 3555-AGKJ
- 3555-AGKL
- 3555-AGKK
- 3555-AGKM
- 3555-AGKN
Dell
Dell PowerVault LTO
Standalone and library-integrated PowerVault LTO drives across LTO-7, LTO-8 and LTO-9.
- 1V377
- 9WPRV
- P9RPT
- D9K5V
- RF9XF
Quantum
Quantum LTO drives
Quantum-branded and Scalar library LTO drive modules across every current LTO generation.
- 9-03904-01
- 3-07312-02
- 3-07315-02
- 3-07803-01
- 3-07801-01
- 3-07802-02
Also supported
Additional tape drive manufacturers we repair
Common faults
The tape drive faults we see every day.
Whether your drive is throwing an error, running slow, or has stopped working altogether, we’ve almost certainly seen it before. The most common tape drive faults through our workshop:
Error code 5
Media incompatibility, cleaning required, or a head assembly fault. We diagnose the root cause and repair the affected component rather than swapping out the whole drive.
Open head channels
Physical damage or wear on the read/write head assembly. Repaired in our head refurbishment laboratory using OEM-grade parts and calibration.
Slow read/write performance
Typically caused by head wear, a dirty tape path or firmware fault. Diagnosed and repaired to restore full LTO-generation throughput.
Tape stuck or won’t eject
Mechanical failure of the loader mechanism, picker fingers or tape path. Recovered and repaired at component level in our Wiltshire workshop.
Firmware corruption
Failed firmware updates or VPD (Vital Product Data) corruption. Firmware and VPD reflashed, verified and returned ready for redeployment.
SAS & Fibre Channel interface faults
Interface board failures preventing host communication. PCB rework and component-level repair rather than a full board replacement.
How it works
Four steps from failure to fixed.
The same process across every tape drive platform. Predictable, tracked and quoted before any work begins.
01
RMA & quote
Send us the part number and the fault. We confirm fixed-price repair and advance-exchange availability the same working day.
02
Ship your drive
Send your failed drive in secure ESD-safe packaging — tracked and insured to our Wiltshire workshop.
03
Repair & test
Head, PCB and firmware repair. VPD preserved, drive logs cleansed, then vendor-native test bed verification.
04
Return delivery
Repaired drive couriered back to you, ready to re-install with 90-day return-to-base warranty.
Why Gentronics
The team behind the repair.
An award-winning UK enterprise storage specialist, repairing what others tell you to replace.
The Storage Awards · Back-to-back winners 2025 & 2026
Head lab, PCB rework and vendor test beds. No third-party outsourcing.
Drives verified on the same platform they came from — HPE, IBM, Dell, Quantum.
Return-to-base warranty on every repair. Extendable on request.
Questions
Tape drive repair — the questions we get asked most.
Straight answers on turnaround, warranty, advance exchange and what to send us.
How long does a tape drive repair take?
Our standard turnaround is 5–7 working days from receipt of your failed drive to dispatch of the repaired unit. If you need to be up and running immediately, we can dispatch an advance-exchange drive from stock while yours is being repaired.
What does ‘advance exchange’ actually mean?
We ship a replacement drive from our stock to you before your failed one arrives at the workshop, so you’re back to production the same day. Your failed drive then comes to us for repair. Subject to stock availability by model.
Do you repair discontinued or end-of-life LTO drives?
Yes. We repair LTO drives across every generation from LTO-1 through LTO-10, plus legacy formats including DAT, DLT, SDLT and Exabyte. If the manufacturer no longer supports it, we most likely still do.
What’s the difference between your repair and an OEM replacement?
An OEM replacement gives you a new or refurbished unit at full price. Our repair fixes your existing drive at component level — head, PCB, firmware, interface — and returns it fully vendor-tested with a 90-day return-to-base warranty. Typically significantly cheaper than replacement.
Can you repair drives inside tape libraries?
Yes. We repair standalone drives, library-embedded drives (HPE MSL, IBM TS4300, Dell TL-series, Quantum Scalar) and the library robotics and controllers themselves. If you’re not sure which part has failed, describe the symptom and we’ll advise.
What information do you need to quote?
Just the part number and a description of the fault. We come back with a fixed-price repair quote and advance-exchange availability the same working day.
Drive not listed?
We also repair legacy tape formats (DAT, DLT, Exabyte), autoloaders, library robotics and controller boards across every major library platform. Tell us what you’ve got — we’ll tell you if we can repair it.