I dug out an old VHS tape, and started watching it when the tape suddenly stopped playing. Any suggestions as to how to fix this?

The video player works fine; I've ejected the cassette, and the reels on the VHS itself are stuck. When I push the cog release button in, I can turn the reels by hand, but otherwise they're stuck solid (won't move forwards or backwards).

Neko Bazu, July 2009

I would suggest fully fast forward and then rewind the tape a couple times as often old tapes tighten up and slip down the spool if left over time. FF and REW realigns the tape and has worked several times for me.

J, August 2009

With a small screwdriver you can dismantle the casette case and see what's causing the problem - if you really need the tape you might consider lifting it out and transferring it to another case.

Peccavi, July 2009