OnStream (first generation) tape capacity?

[GeneralEclectic]

I'm using the trial version of Retrospect with a DI30, driver SC2K2.01 and W2K/SP4. So far, so good. It worked right out of the box, and I was making a trial backup within a couple of minutes of installing it. I take that as a very promising sign, having suffered through a lot of really awful software with this drive. I'm especially impressed with Retrospect's efficient use of memory. There's very little swapping going on compared to other software I've tried.

 

 

 

However (there's always one of those) I'm concerned about what appears to be the inefficient usage of tape capacity. I'm backing up MP3 files, averaging, say, 6MB each on average, compression disabled. The first two tapes of the set reported that they were full at 13.7GB. These tapes had no problem holding the full 15GB when written by BackUpMyPC (on those occasions when it decided to work). In fact, they'd typically hold a reported 15,040,000,000 Bytes on average. So what's the story with Retrospect and 13.7GB? Even if one assumes that Retrospect is reporting 13.7*1024*1024, that still works out to 14,365,491 which is still a long way from 15G. With backups spanning 7 to 10 tapes, this loss of capacity translates to requiring an extra tape -- and with OnStream going Tango Uniform again, the tapes are not only expensive, but getting hard to find.

 

 

 

So can anyone help me out with advice in utilizing the full capacity of the tape? And another question: I never had much luck with the 2.08 driver. What are you using?

[rfrisken]

Before I upgraded my server from Win2K Pro to Win2K Server...I was using the latest version of I-Safe software that I downloaded from the last operational web page of Onstream. It worked fine and allowed me to use ...what it reported to be all 15 gig of space on the tape. Win2K server would not allow me to use I-Safe so I switched to Dantz...as it was pretty much the only software that had support for the DI-30. I also noted that the capacity was down to 13.8 gig.... but since the switch I have a non functioning head cleaner...and cannot find one anywhere....so the drive is toast....well not really but I don't think it is worth the pain to keep it running. I was using the 2.0.0.8 driver and was not having any trouble with it. I have since gone to a couple of 40 gig Maxtors stuck in Startech USB 2.0 cases...and life is good again. I did see somewhere on this forum that Onstream was being a little generous on the actual size of their media...but then I think that all media is that way....even my 40 gig Maxtors are not really 40 gig...after you set them up...