Abstract: The present invention provides loading and unloading mechanisms for data storage cartridges, drive door mechanisms for data drives, and data drives comprising such loading and unloading and/or drive door mechanisms. Embodiments of the cartridge loading and unloading mechanisms, drive door mechanisms and/or data drives, of the present invention can operate in a manner such that the drive door of the data drive is fully closed before the disk medium is exposed, e.g., before opening of the associated shutter of the cartridge. An embodiment of the cartridge loading and unloading mechanism of the present invention can be powered by the same drive motor assembly that is used to move or transport the cartridge to the optical head assembly used for writing and/or reading of data from the disk medium of the cartridge. Embodiments of the cartridge loading and unloading mechanisms and drive door mechanisms of the present invention can fit within a standard configuration for a data drive.