Caution: Follow these steps exactly to avoid loss of data.

1. Remove the screws on the aluminum bottom plate of the tape cartridge. Be careful not to strip the Phillips screw heads.
   
   
2. Hold the aluminum plate firmly on a flat surface and pull up on the sides of the plastic top, NOT on the swing door. Leave the spring door and spring in place.
   
   
3. Find the end of the tape on the full spool and pull off about three inches. Route the tape around the fixed tape guides and in front of the belt capstan and guide pin.
   
   
4. Moisten the end of the tape (about half an inch) and place it on the center of the empty spool.
   
   
5. Turn the drive capstan counter clockwise about two turns until the tape is secure on the spool with no slack in the tape between spools.
   
   
6. Turn the belt drive capstan (next to the swing door) counter clockwise (using a pen or other sharp object placed in the hole on top of the capstan) until three sets of two holes and a single hole pass onto the spool, about 12 inches into the tape.
   
   
7. Replace the plastic top and the screws removed in steps 1 and 2.
   
   

TR-1 tapes manufactured before May 5, 1995 had problems with the prism. The prism would not correctly deflect the light emitted by the LED on the tape drive. Thus, the tape was indicated as unreadable by the tape drive or tapes would be despooled.

To check if a tape in question is one manufactured before May 5, 1995, locate the date stamp on the back of the tape, the metal portion of the tape. There will be a series of numbers on the back. The last six numbers indicate the date the tape was manufactured. For example, 1432050595 would indicate that the tape was manufactured the 05th month, 05th day, the 95th year, These tapes with the date 5-5-95 or earlier will need to be replaced.