Please Help...Tape Recording Question?

Question

Hi, I am trying to record a show on a VHS and when I hit the record button it ejects the tape and says to check the safety tab(or something along those lines)! What do I need to do...some of the tapes work and some don't.

Thanks

The tapes are brand new and still have a tab on them.

Answer 1

This is a common problem with VCR's that have been used to do a lot of recording. IF (and I stress IF) you think you are able to do it, remove the top cover and look at the record lever when a tape is in place. It may not be coming back (toward front of machine and away from the tape) (it is held out due to the tab {or tape} over the hole others have referred to here) far enough to switch to the record mode. The switch portion on the other end of the little lever is easy to adjust so that it will work.

Answer 2

The tape was previously recorded on and the tab was removed on the top of the tape housing, If you want to use this tape to record simply put a piece of tape over the little square depression.

Answer 3

VHS tapes have 2 small tabs in the rear of the cartridge that are designed to be snapped off when something important is recorded to them...this prevents accidentally recording over them.

Should your tape have a small (about a half-inch-square) hole on either end of the rear panel, cover it with a fairly strong tape (like a small piece of duct tape) and the recorder will erase the contents and reuse the tape.