Mitsubishi Electric Apricot VS, Apricot LS Owner's Manual

OWNER’S HANDBOOK
VS + LS
apricot
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC
Apricot VS and LS Systems
Owner’s Handbook
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC
Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
Soundblaster is a registered trademark of Creative Labs Inc.
Any other trademarks referred to within this document but not listed above are hereby recognised and acknowledged.
Apricot Computers Ltd. have a policy of continuous research and development and therefore reserve the right to amend or modify this handbook, or parts thereof that are subject to specification change, without notice.
Any software described in this manual that has been furnished with the computer is supplied subject to a license agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of this agreement. It may be an offence punishable by law to copy any disk or part of a disk supplied for any purpose other than the purchaser’s personal use unless specifically authorised within the licence agreement.
All rights reserved. No use or disclosure or reproduction in any form of this manual in part or whole is permitted without prior written consent from the publishers.
®
and Windows
® 95 are registered trademarks of Microsoft in the
Copyright © Apricot Computers Limited 1995
Published by Apricot Computers Limited 3500 Parkside Birmingham Business Park Birmingham B37 7YS
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC
Printed in the United Kingdom
Safety and Regulatory Notices
Read the separate Power Connection Guide before using the computer for the first time.
The computer uses a safety ground and must be earthed. The system unit AC power cord is its ‘disconnect device’. Ensure that the system unit is positioned close to the AC power outlet and that the plug is easily accessible. The power cord packed with the computer complies with the safety standards applicable in the country in which it is first sold. Use only this power cord. Do not substitute a power cord from any other equipment.
It is imperative that the system unit is set to the correct voltage range before use. If not, the machine may be irreparably damaged.
To prevent fire and electric shock, do not expose any part of the computer to rain or moisture.
When positioning the system unit, monitor and keyboard, take into account any local or national regulations relating to ergonomic requirements.
Microphone, headphone and speaker cables should be less than 2 metres long.
SAFETY NOTICE
Replace a discharged configuration (CMOS) battery with one of the same type. Dispose of the battery in accordance with the manufacturer's recommended instructions. Do not attempt to recharge, disassemble or incinerate. Keep away from children.
Any CD-ROM drive fitted in this system is classified as a CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT according to IEC825 Radiation Safety of Laser
Products (Equipment Classification: Requirements and User's Guide).. The CLASS 1 LASER
PRODUCT label is located on the under side of the system unit.
Use the CD-ROM drive only as described in this manual. Failure to do so may result in exposure to hazardous radiation.
Refer to the labels on the computer to establish which of the following applies.
SAFETY/1
SAFETY NOTICE
E.E.C.
This equipment complies with the relevant clauses of following European directives:
89/836/EEC and 73/23/EEC, and is able to bear the CE mark.
U.S.A
FCC Class A
Warning - this equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A computing device, pursuant to Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC rules. Only peripherals (computer input/output devices, terminals, printer, etc.) certified to comply with the Class A limits may be attached to this computer. Operation of this equipment in a residential area may cause unacceptable interference to radio and television reception requiring the operator to take whatever steps are necessary to correct the interference.
FCC Class B
Warning - this equipment has been certified to comply with the limits for a Class B computing device, pursuant to Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC rules. Only peripherals (computer input/output devices, terminals, printer, etc.) certified to comply with the Class B limits may be attached to this computer. Operation with non-certified peripherals is likely to result in interference with radio and TV reception.
Radio and television interference
The computer described in this manual generates and uses radio frequency energy for its operation. If it is not installed and used properly, in strict accordance with the manual, it may cause interference with radio and television reception.
The computer has been tested and found to comply with the RF emission limits for an FCC Class B computing device which is intended to provide reasonable protection against such interference in a residential installation. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
If this equipment does cause interference with radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
Move the computer away from the receiver being interfered with.
Turn the computer with respect to the receiver.
Turn the receiver with respect to the computer.
Plug the computer into an outlet that is on a different branch circuit from the receiver.
Disconnect and remove any I/O cables that are not being used.
Unplug and remove any expansion cards that are not being used. Replace the relevant blanking
plates.
Make sure that the computer is plugged into a grounded outlet
If you need additional help, consult your supplier. You may find the following booklet helpful, How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems. This booklet is available from the US Government Printing Office: Washington DC 20402 - Stock No. 004-000-000345-4.
SAFETY/2
PREFACE
There are many variants within the Apricot VS and LS range. The basic difference being a Soundblaster 16 bit audio system, integrated into the computer’s motherboard.
Some systems also may be supplied for the networking environment and therefore may not have a hard disk fitted. These systems would probably have a network card installed in an available slot.
®
Similarly, some systems may be supplied with Windows of DOS and Windows guide will be supplied for the software.
This handbook is intended to give advice and guidance on the use of your computer and include details on some of the optional drives and upgrades that you may have chosen to be fitted into it.
Many of these will have been fitted prior to supply, during manufacture at the factory. Others may be installed by your supplier or Apricot dealer.
®
as their operating system. The appropriate
95 instead
PREFACE
CONTENTS
1 THE BEGINNING
Connections 1/1 Turning on and booting 1/2 Energy saving features 1/3 Turning the power off 1/3 Cleaning and transporting 1/4
2 THE SYSTEM DRIVES
Using the floppy drive 2/1 Using a CD-ROM drive 2/2 The Hard disk drive 2/4 Software backup 2/6 Copying pre-installed software 2/7 Using an FTD (tape drive) 2/7
3 SYSTEM EXPANSION
Configuring a card 3/2 Installing a card 3/6
4 SYSTEM UPGRADES
Adding system memory 4/1 Adding cache memory 4/5 Adding video memory 4/7 Upgrading the processor 4/9
5 MULTIMEDIA FEATURES
The device drivers 5/1 The CD-ROM drive 5/2 The sound connections 5/3
CONTENTS/1
6 TROUBLESHOOTING
Problems when starting 6/1 Troubleshooting checklist 6/3 System disk drives 6/4 Software security 6/5
A THE SYSTEM UNIT
Anti-static precautions A/1 Opening the system unit A/2 The components inside A/3 Drive specification A/4 Physical characteristics A/5 Fitting a new drive A/6
B SYSTEM MOTHERBOARD
General specification B/1 Board layout B/3 System ports B/4 Jumper configurations B/6 Replacing CMOS battery B/8
CONTENTS
C SYSTEM BIOS AND SET-UP
Entering set-up C/1 Control keys C/1 Set-up starts on its own C/2 Opening screen C/3 Sub-menu pages C/4 Error messages C/11
CONTENTS/2
1 THE BEGINNING. . .
1
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6
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You should read this chapter even if you do not read any other. It provides important basic information to help you in using your computer. It is the minimum you need to know in order to start work straight away.
Note particularly the information given in the section ‘Energy Saving Features’.
Connections
Individual details of the rear port connections are shown in the appendix B ‘System Motherboard’, but an overall view is given here.
THE BEGINNING
1 Mains in socket 2 Power out to monitor 3 Optional case lock 4 System security loop 5 Rear audio panel *a 6 Keyboard port 7 PS/2 mouse port 8 Serial port (COM1) 9 Serial port (COM2) 10 Parallel/printer port 11 Monitor connection
The optional Security case-lock (3), can help prevent unauthorised removal
of the cover, while the security loop, (4) above, can be used for an alarmed
loop cable or a padlocking mechanism. This will help deter theft of the
system, or removal of its cover if the case-lock, (3), is not fitted.
*a If fitted. See chapter ‘Multimedia’ for details on connections.
1/1
THE BEGINNING
Turning on and booting the computer
Turning the power on
To turn on the computer, press the lower P POWER powered. Remember that the monitor has its own power control (see the monitor’s User’s Guide for details) and that it may take a few moments to warm up. Do not touch the purple button yet.
If nothing happens when the P the system unit and monitor power cords are securely connected and that the AC power supply is switched on. See also the chapter on ‘Troubleshooting’.
Power-on self-test
Whenever the computer is turned on, the ‘power-on self test’ (POST) routine checks the actual set-up of the computer against that recorded in its internal configuration memory. During this time, various messages are displayed. Further information on the computer’s Basic In/Out System (BIOS) and its setting up can be found in Appendix C, ‘System BIOS and set-up’.
The boot sequence
Provided that POST succeeds without any serious errors, the computer attempts to find its operating system to start it going, that is, it attempts to boot. By default, the computer will first look for a system diskette, then for a bootable hard disk partition or area.
OWER
button. The green
ON light should come on to show that the system unit is
OWER
button is pressed, check that
1/2
System diskette
A system diskette is a diskette bearing at least the rudiments of an operating system. If the computer finds such a diskette in the diskette drive, it boots from it. If it finds a non-system diskette, the computer will ask you to replace it.
Bootable Hard disk
Most computers with a hard disk containing pre-installed software arrive set up with a single ‘partition’. The operating system already in place or pre-installed on this, the C: drive, and it is usually made ‘active’, i.e. the bootable hard disk.
Energy Saving features
If the system is left unattended for more than a predetermined length of time, energy saving features will come into play. The screen will blank, components will slow down, software will still run, but very slowly. This is meant to happen. A flashing light on the front will warn you that ‘Low power’ mode is operative.
Warning
The energy saving features built into this computer are designed to be used with the monitor supplied with the system. If you wish to use another, or older monitor it may not be compatible and permanent damage may be caused. Check with your Apricot dealer.
To restart the system, just move the mouse or press a keyboard key. Everything will return to the exact state in which it was left.
You may also press the purple button, just above the power switch. This button can also be pressed while you are using the system, to override the BIOS timer and force the system into the ‘low power’ mode.
THE BEGINNING
The power management section of the system BIOS gives access to the control settings of the ‘low power’ mode, see appendix C, ‘System BIOS and set-up’. You may also disable the features if required.
Turning the power off
Before turning off the computer, run through the following simple checklist:
Quit or exit from all the applications you are running, making
sure to save any files you have altered or created. Unless you save it, information held in the computer’s memory will be lost when you turn off the computer.
Always close down Windows. This procedure will close down all
your applications in an orderly manner and will prompt you to save any unsaved work in the process.
1/3
THE BEGINNING
You should always turn off any attached peripherals first.
However, there is no need to turn off the monitor (if it is powered from the system unit).
To turn off the computer, simply press the P
The power indicator on the system goes out. If the monitor is powered from the system unit, it will be turned off at the same time.
After you turn the computer off, wait at least 5 seconds before
turning it on again. The computer may not initialise itself properly if you turn it off and on again in quick succession.
Cleaning and Transporting
Your Apricot computer requires little physical maintenance other than occasional cleaning, but you must take care when transporting it to avoid damage to some of its more delicate components, particularly the hard disk.
Warning
Turn off the system unit and unplug all power cords before cleaning or moving the computer.
Cleaning the computer
Do not use solvents or abrasives, they might damage the system unit surfaces.
OWER
button again.
1/4
Do not use aerosols or sprays near any part of the system, in particular, air vents or grills, ports, or removable-media drives, as
microscopic droplets can remain in the air for some time and then penetrate and cause irreparable damage.
The system unit
Occasionally wipe the system unit with a soft, slightly damp,
lint-free cloth.
THE BEGINNING
Occasionally wipe the air vents on the rear and sides of the
system unit. Dust and fluff can block the vents and limit the airflow. A small, clean, soft brush may be useful.
Occasionally clean the removable media drives using a special
disk cleaning kit. These are available from many sources including your Apricot dealer.
The monitor
Occasionally wipe the monitor with a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. It is best to use anti-static glass cleaner on the monitor screen. Do not spray glass cleaner directly onto the screen, it could run down inside the case and damage the circuitry.
The keyboard
When necessary, clean the keycaps with a slightly damp cloth and a minimum amount of a non-abrasive cleaning agent.
Regularly check the keyboard cable for wear and tear, particularly near table or shelf edges.
Take care not to spill any liquid or drop small objects, e.g. paper clips or staples, onto the keyboard. Follow these steps if this should happen to the keyboard and it stops working:
1. Switch off and unplug the keyboard.
2. If the liquid is sticky or viscous, unplug the keyboard and call
your supplier or an authorised maintainer.
3. If the liquid is thin and clear, try unplugging the keyboard,
turning it upside down to let the liquid drain out, and drying it for at least 24 hours at room temperature. If the keyboard does not work, call your supplier or an authorised maintainer.
4. If a solid object drops between the keys, turn the keyboard
upside down and shake it gently. Do not probe between the keys as this may cause serious damage.
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THE BEGINNING
The mouse
The mouse tends to be used heavily and so is susceptible to damage, but a little care should minimise this.
Dust and fluff often accumulates in the ball tracking mechanism of the mouse and should be checked for regularly. To clean the mouse follow this procedure:
1. Unplug the mouse, turn it upside down and locate the plastic
2. Remove the cover and set it aside.
3. Cupping one hand over the underside, turn the mouse back the
4. Blow gently into the mouse to remove any dust that has
5. Inside the mouse there are three small rollers. Using a cotton
cover that holds the ball in place. Depending on the model, the plastic cover can be removed either by rotating it counter­clockwise or by sliding it forward slightly.
right way up. The ball should drop into your hand.
collected there.
swab moistened with a solvent cleaner, gently wipe off any oil or dust that has collected on the rollers, rotating them to reach all of their surfaces.
6. Use clear water, or water with a mild detergent, to clean the ball.
Then dry it with a clean, lint-free cloth.
7. Put the ball back in its socket and replace the plastic cover. It
should click into place.
The mouse cable should also be regularly checked for wear and tear, especially near table or shelf edges.
Transporting the computer
Use common sense when handling the computer. Hard disks in particular can be damaged if the computer is dropped or handled roughly. As a precaution, back up your data from the hard disks to tape or floppy disks before moving the computer. (See the Hard disk section of the chapter ‘System drives’).
1/6
THE BEGINNING
Do not try to move the computer while it is plugged into the AC power supply or with any other cables, network, printer etc., still attached.
When lifting and carrying the computer, grip the metal underside of the system unit. Do not lift the unit by the front bezel. Never attempt to use a drive door as a carrying handle. Never attempt to lift the system with a monitor on top.
Do not leave floppy disks or CDs in the drives while moving the system as irreparable damage could occur to either drives or disks.
If you need to transport the computer any great distance, use the original packing materials.
Warning
If you intend to use the computer in another country, read the information in the Power Connection Guide before connecting the computer to a different power supply or electrical system.
1/7
2 THE SYSTEM DRIVES
This chapter contains information about the drives that are currently fitted in your computer, plus some of the optional drives that you may choose to add. If a new 5.25 inch size drive is to be fitted on site, see appendix A, ‘The system unit’, for further details.
Using the floppy disk drive
The floppy disk drive is usually configured in the system BIOS as drive A:, with a capacity of 1.44 Mbytes.
Floppy disks should be kept away from bright sunlight, dust, moisture and any strong magnetic fields, e.g. do not place them on the monitor, printer, or near a telephone. It is common to store them in a lockable “disk-box”, away from the computer itself. Avoid opening the metal window on the disk as this exposes the magnetic surface to contamination which could damage the data or cause the disk to become useless.
THE SYSTEM DRIVES
Inserting a floppy disk
1. First test the eject button to ensure there are no disks in the
drive.
1. Insert the disk with the metal window first, with the label side
uppermost into the drive. This will push open the drive door, which will stay open, leaving the disk just visible.
2/1
THE SYSTEM DRIVES
EMERGENCY
EJECT HOLE
BUSY
INDICATOR
EJECT
BUTTON
COMPACT
DISC DRAWER
HEADPHONE JACK
AND HEADPHONE LEVEL
2. Push the disk gently home until it “clicks” into place. The drive
button will also move outwards slightly.
3. The system should now be able to access the disk and the
information it may contain. While the system is accessing the disk, the “drive in use” LED should be lit.
Pressing the button, when the drive is not in use, will eject the floppy disk. Use only the ‘High Density’ type of floppy disk which has a formatted capacity of 1.44 Mbytes and is readily identified by the HD logo.
Using a CD-ROM drive
One of the popular options is the fitting of a CD-ROM drive to a system. A great deal current software is supplied on this format, mainly due to the large capacity of the CD-ROM disk.
A CD-ROM drive is available either as an upgrade kit from your supplier, or may have been pre-installed for you at our factory.
Unless either a second hard drive has been installed, or the existing hard drive has been given more than one partition, a CD-ROM drive will usually become drive D:.
2/2
The drive has its own headphone jack, with associated volume level control, for use in playing audio CD’s, It is also possible if you wish,
to link the headphone socket via a cable, to your Hi-fi system, and
COMPACT
play CDs at higher power.
With the appropriate software, a CD-ROM drive can retrieve multimedia data from CD-ROM discs, pictures from Multisession Photo-CD discs and also play commercial audio CDs.
Warning
The laser beam inside the CD-ROM drive is harmful to the eyes if looked at directly. Do not attempt to remove the drive cover or otherwise disassemble the CD-ROM drive. If a fault occurs, call an authorised maintainer.
Keep CDs well away from dust, moisture and temperature extremes and avoid touching the surface of the CD. Store them in solid containers wherever possible. Replacement plastic CD containers are available from most large record stores.
Inserting a compact disc
1. Press the
EJECT
button on the front of drive.
THE SYSTEM DRIVES
2. Place the CD centrally face up on the platter.
1. If the platter ejected fully, push the
EJECT
button again, or gently push the front of the platter, and it will be drawn back into the drive.
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THE SYSTEM DRIVES
COMPACT
Note
Wait a few seconds for the CD to spin up to full speed before attempting either to play the audio tracks or to read data from it.
To remove a compact disc, press the eject button and then lift out the CD. It is best to close the drawer, to prevent dust getting in, unless you intend to put in a new CD.
Do not attempt to move the computer while a CD is in the drive, as serious damage may be caused to both the CD and the drive, especially if the drive is active at the time.
To remove a CD manually (for example, during a power failure) you must first ensure that the computer is turned off. Insert a thin metal rod (such as an unwound paper clip) into the emergency eject hole. Push carefully and firmly (see below).
The hard disk drive
All modern computers are fitted with a ‘hard’ disk drive (HDD). These can have very large capacities. They have delicate, sealed and air-tight, mechanisms. They operate within microscopic tolerances and spin at high speed.
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Caution
Try not to jar or move the computer while the system is powered up as this could cause irreparable damage to the delicate drive surface.
The primary hard drive
Your Apricot computer is supplied with one internal or ‘primary’ hard disk drive (HDD) designated as the C: drive. The operating system will normally be installed on this drive.
Data is stored on the HDD in Directories and Subdirectories, often referred as ‘folders’. More details on directories and folders will be found in the Windows guide, as will information on Windows utilities.
The HDD will have only one partition and this will have been made ‘active’ i.e. the bootable disk. Partitions are like dividing panels or false walls in a large office, they cut the area into smaller sections, each one then becomes almost independent.
A secondary hard drive
Caution
Apricot Computers Limited test many types of hard disks from a wide variety of manufacturers and all of our upgrade parts are fully guaranteed. The quality or compatibility of components supplied from any other source cannot be guaranteed.
THE SYSTEM DRIVES
Computers can have two HDDs, the primary drive being designated as the Master and the new drive becoming the Slave. The Apricot system BIOS is capable of handling this.
Any slave drive will be supplied completely blank, with only a few instructions. Fitting and setting up a second hard drive is not difficult, but there can be many issues to be resolved, only one of which is drive type. There are these issues to consider:
Handling and fixing the delicate module
Master to slave compatibility
2/5
THE SYSTEM DRIVES
Jumpers and links on the drives
Partitioning and formatting
Existing ribbon cable re-connection and/or extension
If you do not feel confident about installing a second hard drive you may wish to have your supplier or an authorised engineer complete this task for you.
Software backup
Within Windows you will find Help on numerous topics including backing up, or making a security copy, of your software. It is vital to maintain a discipline of regular backup of your data. Power cuts or hard disk failure are just two reasons.
Your operating system or applications e.g. word processing software, can be simply reinstalled from your master floppy disks or CD’s.
The letters or files you have created would be lost permanently. Your files may not be very large, but they will be impossible to replace once lost.
2/6
Copy your data files to floppy disks, or use proprietary utilities designed to do software backups, such as the one in Windows. Do this regularly and then keep the back-up in a safe place. It is good practice to perform a back-up regularly using two or more sets of disks, rotated for safety.
There are several companies that manufacture backup units, accompanied by dedicated software, some of which can backup your complete hard disk two or three times over on to one small tape cassette, in a comparatively short time.
These are mostly used in networked office environments, but there are more simple, economic versions designed for personal or home use, such as the FTD drive, described in a following section.
Copying the pre-installed software
A disk imaging utility is included with all pre-installations of DOS/Windows. It can be found within the Apricot group. This allows you to create installation diskettes for DOS, Windows, and the other software, from disk images pre-installed on the hard disk. See the utility’s on-line help for more information. If your system is supplied with Windows 95, a similar utility will be included.
To back up other software, you can use MSbackup for DOS or the program within Windows. More information is given in the DOS/Windows guide.
Note
Any copy you make of pre-installed software must be used only as a back-up copy, in case the pre-installed version is lost or needs re-installing or reconfiguring. In particular, you are not allowed to use installation diskettes created from disk images to install the software onto another computer. This is an infringement of the copyright and is illegal.
THE SYSTEM DRIVES
Using an FTD (tape drive)
The FTD (floppy tape drive) is so called because it uses the internal floppy disk interface and so does not require any additional drive controller card like some other tape drives. It would be fitted in one of the system’s 5.25 inch drive bays.
As with the CD-ROM drive, they are available as an upgrade kit, or could be pre-installed at our factory.
The software required to control the tape drive is normally supplied with the drive, but will also be dependant upon your operating system. Check first with your supplier for details.
The tape cartridge and drive have delicate mechanisms. In particular the drive can be damaged by incorrect insertion or removal of cartridges, so always observe the following procedures.
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THE SYSTEM DRIVES
METAL PLATE
ACTIVITY INDICATOR
WRITE-PROTECT
TAB
Inserting a cartridge
1. Remove the cartridge from its plastic holder.
2. Hold the cartridge so that the metal plate faces downwards, as shown below. Slide the cartridge into the drive slot until you feel a slight resistance.
3. Carefully push the cartridge in a bit further until it engages
Removing a cartridge
1. Check that the cartridge is not being accessed by the computer
2. Pull the cartridge carefully out of the drive slot, holding it
3. Return the cartridge to its plastic holder. This protects the
Keep tape cartridges well away from magnetic objects, and equipment that generates magnetic fields. Avoid extremes of temperature and exposure to direct sunlight; otherwise, the data recorded on the tape may become corrupted.
2/8
with the drive mechanism.
(the drive’s activity indicator must be unlit).
between thumb and forefinger.
cartridge and prevents dust from collecting on the surface of the tape.
Cleaning the drive
THE SYSTEM DRIVES
You should clean the read/write head and the capstan of the FTD frequently to prevent the accumulation of dust and metallic particles which can accumulate from the coating on the tape.
If you notice read or write errors, or many bad blocks when using the drive, be sure to clean the head and capstan thoroughly before concluding that the drive or your tapes are defective.
The read/write head and the capstan are accessible through the flip­up drive door, as shown below.
Although it is possible to use special kits to clean the drive, you can use 90% isopropyl alcohol and several non-abrasive, lint free swabs, as follows:
1. Turn off the system unit and unplug all power cords.
2. Gently rub an alcohol-dampened swab against the surface of the
read/write head. If the swab becomes too discoloured, use additional swabs until there is no further discoloration.
2/9
THE SYSTEM DRIVES
3. Rub an alcohol-dampened swab against the surface of the
capstan using an up and down motion. Gently rotate the capstan and continue rubbing until the entire surface is clean.
4. Wait for at least one minute before using the tape drive. This
allows any residual alcohol to evaporate.
Take care at all times and avoid excessive force.
If you clean the read/write head first, and the swab is not too discoloured, you may use the same swab to clean the capstan. But if you clean the capstan first, you must not use the same swab to clean the read/write head.
Remember to keep your tape cartridges in a safe place.
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