Where can I find the latest version of HP Library and Tape Tools for W10 x64?

[David C Partridge]

The web site now only seems to be offering a version for OpenVMS!!!! What's happened to the Windows version please

Thanks, Dave

[Curtis_Ballard]

The real links to LTT are under "OS Independant".  The OpenVMS links are supposed to be removed but it is hard to say exactly when that will happen.

[David C Partridge]

And it refuses to download saying: "Support Validation Required"  LTT has always been freely available to all users of HP tape drives.   the popup also says: An active warranty or support agreement covering StoreEver must be linked to you HPE support centre profile to access this application.

Somewhat different from the main HP LTT page which says "Link to free download".

Is this a SNAFU ?? I do hope so.

Dave

[Curtis_Ballard]

Library and Tape Tools is still a free tool but it has been moved along with the firmware so that downloading it requires support validation as it is considered a support tool.

[David C Partridge]

So please can you tell exactly what I need to do to be able to download it?

I was logged in to my HPE account, but it still refused to allow me to download.

Thank you, Dave

[Torsten.]

@Curtis_Ballard

I checked the page yesterday and the only choice is VMS.

No windows, no linux, no nothing ...

http://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/swd/public/readIndex?sp4ts.oid=406731&ac.admitted=1411446034954.876444892.199480143&lang=en&cc=us

[Torsten.]

That's better and brand new:

http://h20565.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/swd/public/readIndex?sp4ts.oid=5156058&swLangOid=8&swEnvOid=54

http://h20565.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/swd/public/detail?sp4ts.oid=5156058&swItemId=MTX_ce99517a2d7f4ae180f76d8acb&swEnvOid=54

Version 4.24

[David C Partridge]

No it doesn't help at all.  When I try to download 4.24 for windows it throws a popup window saying:

Support Validation Required

An active warranty or support agreement covering StoreEver must be linked to your HPE Support Center profile to access this application.

So how do I get past that hurdle - my drive isn't in warranty, and I don't have a support contract. 

Dave

[Curtis_Ballard]

@Torsten.- see my earlier comments.  You are correct there is no Linux, no Windows however there is "OS Independant" at least when I go to the page.  Hopefully it isn't showing different things to different people.

I think it makes things hard to find but most of the tape firmware/drivers/tools have dropped referencing specific OS's and instead just use "OS Independant" but the publishing tool has not always successfully removed all of the individual OS listings which makes finding things much harder than it should be.  The person responsible for the publishing is well aware of the problem.

[Torsten.]

>> An active warranty or support agreement covering StoreEver must be linked to your HPE Support Center profile to access this application.

Obviously no workaround.

You need this for all library related firmware doanloads and for the tool, too.

[Torsten.]

Well, there is "OS Independent" today listing windows, linux, etc. versions; but I'm sure yesterday there was OpenVMS only.

BTW, it is really a pain to get everytime a new token when you use "get files from web" ...

[Curtis_Ballard]

@Torsten.may be correct that the 'OS Independant' link was missing yesterday.  Sorry about that - I checked with the publication team and there have been some problems with old templates being restored and some support pages got generated incorrectly.  Changes may still happen as issues are found and resolved but it should just be correcting links.

The end result link once you find it for LTT should still end up being the one Torsten provided above.

[David C Partridge]

so what's the idea here - this was a freely available tool. Why are you now making it impossible to get for those of us who have got older equipment.  An realier post said it was still freely available, and now you're saying that actually it isn't

I'm really not at all happy about this.

Dave

[Curtis_Ballard]

I understand the frustration and have passed that along.

LTT is still a "free" tool, there is no charge for the tool, but it isn't "freely available" anymore - it got classified as a support tool and moved into the category of products where support authorization is required.

Can you provide a little information about what you want to use the tool for that I could pass to the appropriate people?  It always helps to be able to point to specific customer feedback.

[David C Partridge]

Surely I can:

I use it to check on the health of my LTO tapes and drives and to upgrade the drive firmware as and when (generally about 6 months after firmware release).

Cheers, Dave

[Curtis_Ballard]

Thaks Dave,

FYI - the firmware moved along with LTT to service validation required and that is part of the reason LTT moved.

Using LTT to periodically monitor the health of your drives may not be a use they considered.

[whynieburger]

Hi

I linked my LTO device to my waranty and support contract,

But when I want to download the file now, Firefox does not understand the link and IE tries to Open a app.

Do I need a specific APP to get the latest LTT?

[David C Partridge]

Frankly I'm appalled by this move to take stuff that was freely available to all users of HP tape drives and make so that it's only accessible to people whose equipment is so new that it is still in warranty or corporates who have support contracts.   Leaves a nasty taste ...  

Over the years I've been very happy to buy HP tape drives and printers for my own use and to recommend them to clients because of HP's approach to providing support.  Given the recent changes, I'm thinking very hard about shifting my business to another supplier, and advising my customers to do the same.

Dave

[Torsten.]

for standalone drives you can still use this:

(text formatting lost, sorry).

http://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/swd/public/detail?sp4ts.oid=7271242&swItemId=MTX_afc26488547047b2b55cec874c&swEnvOid=4138#tab4

Type: Firmware - Storage Tape Version: 4.2.0.0(17 Apr 2017) Operating System(s): Microsoft Windows Server 2012 | View all File name: cp031432.exe (17 MB)

Supported Devices and Features:

Supported tape drives and firmware revisons included in this package

Tape Drive Firmware Revision HP DAT 72 USB ZUD4 HP DAT160 USB WU8B HP DAT160 SAS WSB8 HP DAT320 USB VUA8 HP DAT320 SAS VSA6 HP Ultrium 232 SCSI P61D HP Ultrium 448 SCSI S65D HP Ultrium 448 SAS T65D HP Ultrium 460 SCSI F63D HP Ultrium 920 SCSI D26D HP Ultrium 920 SAS C26D HP Ultrium 920 SAS Q51D HP Ultrium 960 SCSI G66D HP Ultrium 1760 SAS U64D HP Ultrium 1760 SCSI W62D HP Ultrium 1840 SAS A63D HP Ultrium 1840 SCSI B63D HP Ultrium 3000 SAS Z6ED HP Ultrium 3280 SAS X6ED HP Ultrium 6250 SAS 35GD HP Ultrium 6650 SAS O5ID

[Torsten.]

>> But when I want to download the file now, Firefox does not understand the link and IE tries to Open a app.

Use

https://h20564.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/swd/entitlement-token-service/generate

to generate the token.

[TekkFirst]

I agree! Why would HP lock their firmware for old hardware behind a paywall (support contract)?

I tried downloading the older tool for firmware, but it doesn't work, it says it won't install on my Windows 2k12 server. I also tried it on another PC, but it failed with a DLL error. I can even see the exact firmware file I need within the zip file, but it's renamed and likely compressed in such a way that the HP Tape Tools app sees it as corrupt and won't let me update with it.

So...basically there's no way to update the firmware on my 3 year old LTO-6 drive? That's bad form.

[Torsten.]

the link in my post still works.

[David C Partridge]

> That's bad form

Yes, it is isn't it - I've already passed this issue on to twenty-three clients who will no longer purchase HP drives as a result ...

Pure idiocy - how to make friends and influence people (not)!

David