Some years ago I had a problem with "stiction" (not my term...) on old R-to-R tapes, and I rang the local (Oz) office of the manufacturer (Ampex), who offered similar advice. They could (at a price) cook the tapes and return them to me. I would then have some time (not forever) to transfer them to other tapes or suitable media (CD burners were novel and expensive in those days).
He also advised me that the local Blind Society had had a similar problem with Talking Books, and that someone there (I had a name but never followed through, so I lost it) had had success using a microwave! (Obviously the tapes were not on metal reels - he he)
Sadly, I didn't follow through, and now have even more of a problem....but at least it was consistent advice.
It seems the "stiction" is caused by the plastisers or binders (one or the other) oozing, and sticking layers of tape together. I have had some where the coating falls right off as the tape is wound/unwound. Most critically at the end of the tape near the hub of the reel. Advice in other posts to regularly run tapes from reel to reel to even up pressures and generally loosen them up would seem good advice. I knew it all those years ago (more than 20) but always thought I'd be listening to them so frequently it wouldn't matter. Then along came CDs with all their convenience......
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But he did concede that Windows software might be accepatable...in the absence of free/linux stuff.
"Preference to open-source or Linux software, but Windows software will do if there's nothing better"
Don't get angry, just RTFQ....
Hayse in Oz
They might even be better than non-degradeable discs - they might absorb the spills!
Some years ago I had a problem with "stiction" (not my term...) on old R-to-R tapes, and I rang the local (Oz) office of the manufacturer (Ampex), who offered similar advice. They could (at a price) cook the tapes and return them to me. I would then have some time (not forever) to transfer them to other tapes or suitable media (CD burners were novel and expensive in those days).
He also advised me that the local Blind Society had had a similar problem with Talking Books, and that someone there (I had a name but never followed through, so I lost it) had had success using a microwave! (Obviously the tapes were not on metal reels - he he)
Sadly, I didn't follow through, and now have even more of a problem....but at least it was consistent advice.
It seems the "stiction" is caused by the plastisers or binders (one or the other) oozing, and sticking layers of tape together. I have had some where the coating falls right off as the tape is wound/unwound. Most critically at the end of the tape near the hub of the reel. Advice in other posts to regularly run tapes from reel to reel to even up pressures and generally loosen them up would seem good advice. I knew it all those years ago (more than 20) but always thought I'd be listening to them so frequently it wouldn't matter. Then along came CDs with all their convenience......
Hayse (down here in Oz)