Repeated Error 211

[spdesign]

I'm running a ServerG3 with Retrospect 5.0.205. Our backup is getting huge, so we needed to insert another tape into our HP SureStore DAT 40 x 6 drive this morning. The tapes that we have all need to be re-formatted. When I chose to erase the tape, Retrospect gave me an error 211: "Couldn't erase tape, error 211 (media locked)." Out of the 3 tapes I tried to erase, NONE of them would format. NONE of them are locked. After trying more tapes, I decided to clean the drive, power everything down, update the drivers for Retrospect, turn everything back on and try again.

 

 

 

We're still getting the same problem - any ideas?

 

 

 

Thanks to ANYONE who can help!!!

[AmyJ]

Try doing a test restore of a few files from an existing backup set - can the drive access and restore the data properly? Have you tried using a new tape, rather then using an old one?

 

 

 

Check your cables and termination. If possible, try the drive on a different computer with Retrospect - can the tapes be erased?

 

 

[spdesign]

Thanks for the reply - we can't do a test restore - the tape is about 2 years old, and the backup set we used on that tape is long gone.

 

 

 

Note: The tape when scanned, is "Unrecognizable content"

 

 

 

Any ideas?

[AmyJ]

In reply to:

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Our backup is getting huge, so we needed to insert another tape into our HP SureStore DAT 40 x 6 drive this morning.

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So you're not appending to an existing backup set? If so, try a test restore from this set.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In reply to:

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Any ideas?

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Check your cables and termination. If possible, try the drive on a different computer with Retrospect - can the tapes be erased?