My cassette tape detached from the spool. How can I get the case open without destroying it?

The VCR tape will turn off when spools are Jammed to prevent breakage of the tape. Take out the VCR cassette and put a thick pencil in the each sprocket hole and try winding in the right direction (which means when you manually wind the tape the other spool should unwind without resistance). If you feel resistance the sprockets are jamming. Knock the cassette on a hard surface without breaking it and usually it will free the jam. If does not help then carefully open the the cassette screw and re-position the sprockets.

Very likely the tape is wound around the capstan.

You may have to get at it by taking the unit's case off.

If I am right you might have to destroy the cassette unless you are very careful. Or, at least, have to cut the tape so as to unwind it from the capstan.

You could also try to open the door just enough to lift it up and off ... as if you were going to clean the tape heads.

This is a messy situation - I've had a few. The best thing to do really is take it to a repairers where they will be able to retrieve your cassette without damage to it or the deck.

some have little screws, or take a very small flat head srew driver and carefully pry open.

Cheap cassette players have no rewind feature. This allows the mechanism to be simpler and cheaper; they just 'pull' the tape forward constantly, without the pinch wheel for "fast" [sic] and with the pinch wheel for "play".

To work out if this is the problem with your cassette player, look inside with no cassette inserted. If one of the spindles is plain, without the "three-pronged" device to engage with the spool, then you have the cheap device with no rewind. Turn the tape over, and fast-forward.

Verify that you have installed the proper correction tape. The types of tape that can be used with this system are: Item 1030 - Correctable Film Ribbon, 1230 - Correctable Film Ribbon 2pack, 1031 - Multi Strike Ribbon, 1032 - Nylon Ribbon, 3010 - Lift-off correction tapes (to be used with 1030 and 1230 ribbons), 4010 Cover-up Correction tape (to be used with 1031 and 1032 ribbons).
Make sure that the correction tape is installed properly. Pass the tape through the left guide, behind the ribbon guide and out through the right guide. The rough side of the tape should face the platen. Attach the feeder spool to the pin on the left. Attach the take up spool to the pin on the right. Turn the take up spool counter clockwise until a small amount of tape has wound around it. Replace the cassette ribbon and close the case cover. Press [CODE] + [RESET] to move the carrier to the previous position.

1. Use the spacebar or backspace to move the carrier to the center of the platen.
2. Open the top cover.
3. remove the cassette ribbon if installed.
4. Pull off both spools, pressing against the correction tape with your thumbs. Bring it back to a position parallel with the platen, lift it up and out.
5. Pass the new tape through the left guide,behind the ribbon guide. The rough (sticky) side of the tape should face the platen.
6. Attach the feeder spool to the pin on the left.
7. Attach the take-up spool to the pin on the right.
8. Turn the take-up spool counter-clockwise until a small amount of white tape is around it.
9. Replace the cassette ribbon and close the top cover.
10. Press (CODE)+(RESET)(Q) to move the carrier to the previous position.

Changing the Correction Tape

1) Move the print carrier to the center of the platen using the SPACE or BS key.

2) To replace the correction tape, lift out the typing ribbon cassette (see Changing The Ribbon Cassette) and remove the two spools of the lift off tape by pulling them outwards.

3) Place the empty spool of new tape on the left pin so that the tape winds clockwise. Place the tape around the left guide. Pull the tape around the right

guide and place the loaded spool on the right pin so that the tape unwinds counter-clockwise.

Note: Make sure the sticky side of the tape is facing the platen.

4) Manually turn the left-hand spool in the clockwise direction, tightening the tape until resistance is felt.

5) Replace the typing ribbon cassette.
6) Press the CODE + = (SETTING) key.

Changing the Ribbon Cassette

1) Move the print carrier to the center of the platen using the SPACE or BS key.

2) Hold the ribbon cassette on both sides and lift up the front portion (where the ribbon is exposed) to remove the cassette.

3) To insert a new cassette, place the back end of the cassette on the cassette

holder on the carrier and gently press down on the front of the cassette unit it clicks into place.

4) Turn the ribbon feed knob counter-clockwise again to take up any slack in the ribbon.
5) Presss the CODE + = (SETTING) key.

Good Luck!

The cassette may be stuck in there somehow, or the tape has been eaten. At any rate, one needs to maybe 'help' to open the door, with the risk of destroying the tape. But, you have no choice but to try to pull the old tape out any way you can (without damaging the unit, of course).

I wish you luck on this problem.

When in play the tape is pulled out of the cassette & wrapped around a path that takes it across the heads using guide arms.When you press STOP/EJECT. the guide arms move back leaving the tape slack, at the same time a clutch device engages the take up spool & rotates to turn the spool in the cassette & wind the slack tape back into the cassette. When the arms are fully retracted a selector switch has moved into position to activate a motor which turns the mechanism to bring the cassette housing back up to the start position & relaeses the tape. If there is still tape catching the mechanism when you try to eject or some of the tape not fully back inside the cassette, this is most likely because the take up spool is not turning quickly enough to take up the slack tape.