Ultrium 920 filling tape at 280GB of 282GB

[Michael McKenney]

I had the same results from Windows x64 Backup and Backup Exec 2010. At 280GB, it ejects the tape and asks for a second tape. It finished at 282GB. The actual size of the files. Compression is 1:1. They are pictures and movies from vacation trips and other photog projects. Device screen in Backup Exec shows a full tape of 396.9 GB. I have tried hardware and software compression. Same results. I am using D22D firmware. Any suggestions? It seems strange to add roughly 120GB in overhead to the tape.

[Richard Bickers · Accepted solution]

The drive could be using more tape because it is having difficulty writing. It uses a form of auto-sparing and will use enough tape to make sure that what is written is good quality. If the drive is having trouble it could be using a lot of tape.

Best bet is to pull an LTT support ticket and see what the drive->health section says. If you post the ticket here we can take an in-depth look.

Best time to pull a ticket is at the end of the backup. It's OK if you eject the tape as the tape info is cached. If you've used the drive for other things since then the data we need to look at fades into history and is less accurate.

LTT also has the drive assessement test. This will tell you if your drive is in good condition but you'll need to find another tape you can write on.

LTT is at http://www.hp.com/support/tapetools.

Good luck.

[Michael McKenney]

Should I try a new tape? Should I try cleaning the drive? The cleaning light is not on.

[Richard Bickers]

For something to just try then, yes, clean the drive and try another tape.

I'd still suggest pulling a ticket or running the drive assessment test to find out what the drive thinks is going on and whether it's in good condition (respectively).

The ticket will tell us a lot about the drive if pulled straight after the backup. This short doc should get you going if you've not used LTT before: http://www.hp.com/support/lttfaq

[Michael McKenney]

Do I need to get the drive repaired or replaced? I don't use the drive that much. I included the report

[Richard Bickers]

I see what appears to be a blocked head in one direction (there are 16 for each direction) and that is causing a lot of auto sparing in that direction.

Looks like it failed the assessment test which is what you'd expect for a blocked head.

The drive does need attention - best bet is to try a clean or maybe even a couple of cleans and then try the assessment test again.

If a clean or two doesn't shift the block then you'll have to contact HP support for a replacement assuming it's still in warranty.

They'll ask you to run the assessment test so you can tell them you've already done that.

Do try the cleaning first though please - it uses special media and there's an internal brush in the drive which gives it a good scrub too.

Good news is your data is fine - it's just that you don't get as much as expected on the tape.

[Michael McKenney]

I have a LTO 3 cleaning tape. I will give it a few cleanings. I have never seen the cleaning light come on. I was told to only clean them when the drive requested it. Should I clean them more often like every 3-6 months?

I was getting overheat warnings. I did clean out the chassis with compressed air. I blew around the drive. Should I remove the drive and check for dust around the PCB and outside of the drive also? The drive bay above and below are empty.

I thought all those drives ran at 40 MHz. I was surprised to see it can handle 320 MHz SCSI speed. I put it up to 320 MHz. It did not make that much of a difference?

[Michael McKenney]

I ran a C7978A cleaning tape three times on the LTO3. I still have errors. Should I try another tape? Can HP repair a drive out of warranty? How much?

[Michael McKenney]

I can't find my warranty information

EH841A
EH841-60005
Serial: HU1073659D
WWYY: 3607

[Richard Bickers]

I believe these drives carry a 3 year warranty so you may well still be covered.

If you call HP support and give them the serial number they should be able to look it up. As long as your company name lines up with what they've got and the serial number matches that's probably enough.

I don't know how much it would be to extend the warranty I'm afraid. That might be another question for support.

If you've cleaned the drive 3 times and it's still failing the assessment test then that's your best bet now. My guess is the compressed air blew some debris into the heads.

As a last resort (only do this if you don't have any warranty and you don't plan to extend it) is to try a swab dipped in alcohol. That can shift some forms of debris sometimes. Make sure you only apply minimal pressure as you don't want to damage the head or shift the head alignment but a gentle rub might help.

I'm hopeful your warranty is still intact and you can get a replacement.