Don't let this ruin your VCR.
If you use a VCR to watch and record movies, eventually you will have to deal with the most common type of repair: getting a stuck cassette out of the machine. You can take the VCR to a repair shop, but the technology is outdated enough that you may be charged for a pricey "specialty repair." It is much more cost effective (and usually faster) to fix the VCR yourself.
Instructions
1. Unplug your VCR and, after a few minutes, plug it back in. Sometimes VCRs get confused and think the cassette is stuck, but really it just needs to have its microcomputer reset. If this does not allow you to eject the cassette, move onto the next step.
2. Unplug the VCR to eliminate the risk of electric shock.
3. Remove the top cover to the VCR by removing the screws holding it in place. If necessary, remove the bottom cover too. Put the screws somewhere safe.
If the cover doesn't come loose easily, don't force it. Check for any screws you may have missed, as well as plastic tabs holding it in place. These may need to be depressed in order to get the cover off.
4. Inspect the VCR for foreign objects such as toys, pennies and rocks (an important step if you have kids) that may be wedging the cassette in place. If you find any, carefully remove them. Plug in the VCR and hit Eject. If it still does not work, unplug it again and move on.
5. Check the path of the tape from the cassette, through the VCR and back into the cassette. See if it is bound up anywhere, and where you will need to pull it in order to get it free.
6. Carefully coax the tape free from the area where it is bound up, and from the VCR heads in general. If it's a cassette that you don't care about, simply cut the tape with a pair of scissors and pull it free.
7. Remove the cassette from the VCR after the tape is free from the VCR's parts. Hold the door open so that the tape doesn't get caught again.
8. Replace the cover and screws.
9. Run a cleaning tape through the VCR to eliminate the problem that is causing cassettes to get jammed. The VCR may be dirty, magnetized or holding a static charge. The cleaning tape will fix all of these.
Tags: cleaning tape, cover screws, free from, holding place, tape free, tape free from
