How to delete data stored on the tape

[wsigmund]

I want to free up some space on a backup tape. How can I do this?

 

[2ffat]

The only way I know is to erase to whole tape. I'm not familar with a method to just erase one a few files on a tape. From my understanding of tapes, the data is stored in such a way that you cannot delete individual files. This may not be true for some of the newer tapes, but for DAT and QIC tapes, you cannot.
James P. Cottingham

http://www.ivcusa.com

 

[eric247]

1. restore all files you wish to keep onto a hard drive.
2. erase the tape.
3. back up the files you restored in step one.
- this effectively gets rid of the data you no longer want on the tape and consolidates the data you want to keep.

 

[CinciTech]

IMHO..

1) Get a New tape, tape is cheap.
2) Backup only what you need to backup
3) Using tape as Archive is too time consuming. Buy a harddrive. Drives are cheap.