howto format tape with: Windows NT 4.0 + ntbackup.

[Gianfrancesco Bertucci]

I spent a lot of time trying to find something helful....but I haven't found yet.
Does anyone knows how to format a tape (DDS2/DDS4) with Windows NT4.0, ntbackup and Hp Surestore dat8 or dat40 (no other software like tapeware, backup exec, etc).
Thanks in advance.....

frank

[Gianfrancesco Bertucci]

Sorry: Obviously th option Format tape (of ntbackup) is disabled.....

[David Holbrook]

Just a question, but when you insert the tape into the drive and run the tape backup program (ntbackup.exe), does the tape show up at all?

If the tape does show up, highlight it in the left window, select operations, and chose to erase. I believe that the format option does not appear (is grayed out) if the drive recognizes the format on the tape. In that case I would try doing a simple erase function instead of a format, to see if that clears the tape to be reused. Once the tape is erased it should be able to run to be reused as a new reording.

Formatting a tape of this size will take forever (hours at least), so should not really be done unless there is some real reason to do it.

I have found when I put in a tape that the system discovers was made on another type system, it usually just complains this is a foreign tape and forces it to be erased before it can be used. Get this all the time when I try to re-use DDS2 tapes in a DDS4 system. Also had this a lot when I tried to read tapes from a Novel system on the MS NT server. When you have this situation you get the message: The tape in the drive must be erased before it can be used. In addition the tape is listed as a "foreign" tape.

I believe the "format" option (under "Operations) only becomes available when the tape appears to be unformatted.

HTH

David

[Gianfrancesco Bertucci]

Thanks David.
I try to explain better my situation.
I have 3 server (2 NT server with surestore dat8 and 1 NT server with surestore dat40).
DAT drives are SCSI controller-based tape.
I've always the same problem: The Format Tape command and the backup command are unavailable even if I erase the tapes (see attachment).
I've found (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;177121) an explanation. I know I could install a commercial software but I cannot believe that it's impossible to format a tape in this case...do you think there could be an utility to format (Microsoft Tape Format) a tape, somewhere on the web?
Thanks , Frank.

[meloni]

Hello

For what I remember, if you have a new not formatted tape, you will be able to format as it will be marked unrecognized or foreign tape, it the tape have already been formatted you will see it as Blank tape.

You can use the read/write test of L&TT to write with a different format on the tape and then see if you can format it as it will become a foreigh tape.

hope to remember well :)

[David Holbrook]

Frank,

You have added additional info. You will not be able to backup on a dds4 tape on the DAT8 system, it does not recognize the tape at all (wrong size). However, you should be able to see and use a 120 meter type in either the DAT 8 tape or in the DAT40.

If I remember correctly, the DAT40 will not accept or use the 60 meter and might not accept the 90 meter size DAT cartridge either maybe(???), but the 120 meter and larger will be usable in the DAT40 drive. Note, the 125 meter type is not usable in the DAT8, butis in the DAT 12/24 or 20/40. Is this the problem? My DAT8 can use the 60, 90, and 120 meter tapes, and my DAT 12/24 will take up to 125 m tapes but not the larger ones that the DAT 40 likes.

While the tapes are all the same physical size, the formatting is different and the drive knows and will reject those it can not use. Formatting is not the issues, it is the length of the tape that is rejected.

David