Can't overwrite a tape!

[lengoo]

Hi All,
I have one tape machine and it won't erase or reuse any other tapes which have been in other DLT drives of other servers.. it works however, if I have a brand new tape.
I have tried to erase the tape but it keeps on saying that the tape is write protected of which it isn't physically nor have I enabled media overwrite protection. Any ideas what this could be?
I am thinknig maybe it is hardware? Or is there any known issues with certain hardware types?
Thanks all...

Lengoo

 

[SQLBill]

Could the tape have been 'write protected' when it was in the other server? Maybe the tape has a header that shows it was write protected and needs to be unprotected via the original server.

-SQLBill

 

[lengoo]

Hmm.. could be.. do you know how to do this? I am using veritas v8.6 on Windows 2000

 

[Rols]

Even if has been write protected (ie: Overwrite protection time enabled) Backup Exec shopuld still be able to erase the tape using the erase command.

My bet is that you are using different DLT hardware technologies in you servers. Are you using "DLT1" tape drives as well as the "DLT8000,7000 or 4000" drives???

This is a common mistake that our customers make. Once you have written to the tape using a "DLT1" drive the tape is unusable in the "DLT8000,7000 or 4000" drives and vice versa. (Some combinations have read only access to the tapes). But as a general rule of thumb we suggest not mixing the two technologies together at all.

 

[lengoo]

Found out what the problem is... looks like my DLT tapes aren't compatible!
One is an IBM 40/80 an the other is HP vs80.. they use the same DLTs and have the same capacity but there seems to be an issue with format that the tapes are written as. I found an faq on the HP website which states this. The only way to use a tape that has been previously used in an IBM in the HP is to degauss it completely!!!
Ah well, seems stupid that there isn't a common format between the brands