VCR head cleaning cassette working?
 

Hi everyone. I'm digitizing a fairly large number of historical family and professional (live music gigs) VHS tapes with a JVC HR-XVC33U stereo VHS and DVD unit. I bought a VCR head cleaning tape and after it didn't play. I looked up the manual for the VCR and discovered it only wanted a dry cleaning tape and the one I bought was wet (didn't know there were two types). I ordered a dry one and had the same result - won't run. (the VCR plays all other VHS tapes fine). I manually turned the cleaning tapes a bit with a scissors and screw driver to press the side tab in - they are not stuck - so I borrowed anther VCR (SANYO which also plays the other tapes fine) to try them on and got the same result - the cleaning tapes will not run. Probably a simple solution is out there but I haven't found it and am hoping this forum could help. Thanks.

Generally those cleaning tapes are not recommended as they can cause unnecessary head wear and can possibly damage things. There's a "paper method" where square of either plain notebook paper or printer paper are wetted with 90-99% isopropyl alcohol and lightly pressed up against the drum while you slowly spin the top of the drum manually. See here and jump to 10 minute mark or so: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JmarrPNs3w

Thanks. I don't really want to do that at this point although the youtube video you sent the link to is good and I'll probably eventually do it. My main question is why the tapes don't run but all the others do. Thanks again.

Welcome. :)

There's this old "joke" that we sometimes repeat around here.
- Man: "Doctor, doctor, my groin hurts. Quick, tell me how to chop off my pecker so the pain goes away!"
- Doctor: "Uh, no. That's no the solution because..." (interrupted)
- Man: "I don't want an explanation, just tell me how to do it!"
I'm suddenely reminded of it. I never liked "don't explain things, just answer me".

Those "cleaning" tapes don't clean squat. Those push around dirt, make matters worse. Sometimes items are only sold because people are gullible/stupid enough to buy them. VHS "head cleaner" tapes are such a product. Those were made for people that were afraid to open a VCR (and/or did not read how to properly clean it; NO Q-TIPS!). The "cleaning" from those tapes is more placebo that anything else.

These "tapes" are not actually tapes, and anything could cause them to seize up, especially since all of them will be a minimum of 20 years old now.