Tape drive no longer recognizes media

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

I have an HP DAT40 Tape drive and using Windows native backup utility.
Everything was working fine, then one day it asks for media with a - 1
on the end of it, I had labeled each tape as the weekday, so for
Wednesday it says where is Wednesday - 1.

So now for everyday it doesn’t do the backup. Upon checking the media
label, from computer management > storage > removable media > HP
drive> , I see nothing, as if I never put in a tape. It sees no tapes
at all now.

I’m wondering, is there a better way to prepare tapes and why can I no
longer see my media? The tape drive seems to be working normally, its
fine in the device manager, and it whines as you put in the tape.

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[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

This sounds like a specific hardware problem - I had a (non-HP) tape
drive die with symptoms like these. I don't know whether there is a Ng
for HP Tape hardware, but you can try the HP Technical support area on
their website.

On 10 Dec 2004 15:58:06 -0500, Kold <UseLinkToEmail@WindowsForumz.com>
wrote:

>I have an HP DAT40 Tape drive and using Windows native backup utility.
>Everything was working fine, then one day it asks for media with a - 1
>on the end of it, I had labeled each tape as the weekday, so for
>Wednesday it says where is Wednesday - 1.
>
>So now for everyday it doesn’t do the backup. Upon checking the media
>label, from computer management > storage > removable media > HP
>drive> , I see nothing, as if I never put in a tape. It sees no tapes
>at all now.
>
>I’m wondering, is there a better way to prepare tapes and why can I no
>longer see my media? The tape drive seems to be working normally, its
>fine in the device manager, and it whines as you put in the tape.


Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

"Peter R. Fletcher" wrote:
> This sounds like a specific hardware problem - I had a
> (non-HP) tape
> drive die with symptoms like these. I don't know whether there
> is a Ng
> for HP Tape hardware, but you can try the HP Technical support
> area on
> their website.
>
> On 10 Dec 2004 15:58:06 -0500, Kold
> <UseLinkToEmail@WindowsForumz.com>
> wrote:
>
> >I have an HP DAT40 Tape drive and using Windows native backup
> utility.
> >Everything was working fine, then one day it asks for media
> with a - 1
> >on the end of it, I had labeled each tape as the weekday, so
> for
> >Wednesday it says where is Wednesday - 1.
> >
> >So now for everyday it doesn’t do the backup. Upon checking
> the media
> >label, from computer management > storage > removable
> media > HP
> >drive> , I see nothing, as if I never put in a tape. It
> sees no tapes
> >at all now.
> >
> >I’m wondering, is there a better way to prepare tapes and why
> can I no
> >longer see my media? The tape drive seems to be working
> normally, its
> >fine in the device manager, and it whines as you put in the
> tape.
>
>
> Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit
> from the exchange.
> Peter R. Fletcher

I ran the diagnostic software and everything came back ok. But
Computer Management still won’t show any media inserted? Am I looking
in the right spot to find the media label and prepare the tape?

Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Storage > Removable
Storage > Libraries > (My installed Tape Drive) >

?? Thanks

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[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

On 13 Dec 2004 13:59:55 -0500, in microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
you wrote:

>"Peter R. Fletcher" wrote:
> > This sounds like a specific hardware problem - I had a
> > (non-HP) tape
> > drive die with symptoms like these. I don't know whether there
> > is a Ng
> > for HP Tape hardware, but you can try the HP Technical support
> > area on
> > their website.
> >
> > On 10 Dec 2004 15:58:06 -0500, Kold
> > <UseLinkToEmail@WindowsForumz.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > >I have an HP DAT40 Tape drive and using Windows native backup
> > utility.
> > >Everything was working fine, then one day it asks for media
> > with a - 1
> > >on the end of it, I had labeled each tape as the weekday, so
> > for
> > >Wednesday it says where is Wednesday - 1.
> > >
> > >So now for everyday it doesn’t do the backup. Upon checking
> > the media
> > >label, from computer management > storage > removable
> > media > HP
> > >drive> , I see nothing, as if I never put in a tape. It
> > sees no tapes
> > >at all now.
> > >
> > >I’m wondering, is there a better way to prepare tapes and why
> > can I no
> > >longer see my media? The tape drive seems to be working
> > normally, its
> > >fine in the device manager, and it whines as you put in the
> > tape.
> >
> >
> > Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit
> > from the exchange.
> > Peter R. Fletcher
>
>I ran the diagnostic software and everything came back ok. But
>Computer Management still won’t show any media inserted? Am I looking
>in the right spot to find the media label and prepare the tape?
>

Did the diagnostic software manage to recognise and read and write to
a tape, or did it simply talk to the drive? If the former, I would try
uninstalling the Windows Backup sofware and any HP tape drivers, then
reboot and reinstall them (drivers first). If the diagnostic software
didn't actually read and write a tape, then it hasn't excluded a
hardware problem at that level.

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

"Peter R. Fletcher" wrote:
> On 13 Dec 2004 13:59:55 -0500, in
> microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
> you wrote:
>
> >"Peter R. Fletcher" wrote:
>  > > This sounds like a specific hardware problem - I had
> a
>  > > (non-HP) tape
>  > > drive die with symptoms like these. I don't know
> whether there
>  > > is a Ng
>  > > for HP Tape hardware, but you can try the HP
> Technical support
>  > > area on
>  > > their website.
>  > >
>  > > On 10 Dec 2004 15:58:06 -0500, Kold
>  > > <UseLinkToEmail@WindowsForumz.com>
>  > > wrote:
>  > >
>   > > >I have an HP DAT40 Tape drive and using
> Windows native backup
>  > > utility.
>   > > >Everything was working fine, then one day it
> asks for media
>  > > with a - 1
>   > > >on the end of it, I had labeled each tape as
> the weekday, so
>  > > for
>   > > >Wednesday it says where is Wednesday - 1.
>   > > >
>   > > >So now for everyday it doesn’t do the backup.
> Upon checking
>  > > the media
>   > > >label, from computer management > storage
> > removable
>  > > media > HP
>   > > >drive> , I see nothing, as if I never put
> in a tape. It
>  > > sees no tapes
>   > > >at all now.
>   > > >
>   > > >I’m wondering, is there a better way to
> prepare tapes and why
>  > > can I no
>   > > >longer see my media? The tape drive seems to
> be working
>  > > normally, its
>   > > >fine in the device manager, and it whines as
> you put in the
>  > > tape.
>  > >
>  > >
>  > > Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may
> benefit
>  > > from the exchange.
>  > > Peter R. Fletcher
> >
> >I ran the diagnostic software and everything came back ok.
> But
> >Computer Management still won’t show any media inserted? Am I
> looking
> >in the right spot to find the media label and prepare the
> tape?
> >
>
> Did the diagnostic software manage to recognise and read and
> write to
> a tape, or did it simply talk to the drive? If the former, I
> would try
> uninstalling the Windows Backup sofware and any HP tape
> drivers, then
> reboot and reinstall them (drivers first). If the diagnostic
> software
> didn't actually read and write a tape, then it hasn't excluded
> a
> hardware problem at that level.
>
> Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit
> from the exchange.
> Peter R. Fletcher

Well, this is odd but the problem is solved. All I did was reseat the
cable and power and reboot. Of course, the server needs to stay up for
the day, so I hadn’t been able to do that.

The diagnostic software recognized the drive, asked for a test tape,
then asked for a cleaning tape several times, finally asking for the
test tape again. Then it completed, reported that the drive was fine,
but it didn’t say if it wrote to the tape or not. Reseat, reboot, then
in Computer Management it showed my drive with a red x over it. As
soon as I inserted a tape, it refreshed, removed the x and showed the
media label.

I just found this counter-intuitive to standard drives where if the PC
can see it, it works fine. Thanks for the help, seems like the
diagnostic software isn’t worth much either.

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[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

Could this (from alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus) conceivably be your
problem?

>I installed updated nVidia nForce motherboard drivers (to cope with an
>ATI graphics problem) and accidentally installed their new ATA drivers
>(I should know better). Today I went to run NTBackup, and it couldn't
>find any of my media -- actually it's XPs RSM which couldn't see any of
>the media -- in my antique TR4 Travan tape drive (attached to one of the
>aforementioned ATA channels).
>
>Luckily I figured out the culprit (although I could not figure out a
>fix), so I just rolled the driver back to previous version .. problem
>solved. I can't see any way of reporting the issue to Asus/nVidia, so I
>thought I just document it here, for benefit of any fellow sufferers.
>
>nVidia STILL can't write ATA drivers!
>
>--
>GSV Three Minds in a Can
>Outgoing Msgs are Turing Tested,and indistinguishable from human typing.

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher