Bad (retired) media Backup Exec 11d

[tim8]

Sorry for my bad English.
I have Backup Exec 11d with all updates, Windows Server 2003 R2 with all updates, HP DL 140 G3, HP MSL 2024 & 1840 LTO-4 Ultrium Tape Drive with latest firmware & drivers, HP LTO-4 Ultrium Cartridges. I configured backup policies and had no problems during several month. But several days ago backup job failed (job canceled) because Bad Media (Retired Media). I've tried to Quik Erase, Full Erase, Scan, Inventory, move to Scratch Set those bad media, tried to use brand new cartridges - Bad Media, job canceled. I've tested backup device with HP L&TT (LTO Drive Assessment test, LTO Media Assessment test using 3 cartridges) - no error, I've backed up with NTBackup - no problem! Why Backup Exec can't use those cartridges? But Backup Exec can write to file on HDD. How can I fix this problem?

[CraigV]

Hi Tim,

Had the same issue, and I got around it by manually moving my tapes back to their media sets.

I had also tried updating to the latest patches in BE 2010 R2, and also upgraded the firmware of the library in question. Another attempt was to inventory the tapes.

Moving the tapes was the only thing that worked for me...

Is Removable Storage service stopped and disabled? Have you also tried to label your tape to see if this fixes it?
And lastly...try using HP LTT to erase the tape and see if this works...

[CraigV]

...something else to consider...

Retired media:

Media that has been discarded and will never be used by Backup Exec for any media operation, unless the media is moved manually out of the media set. If a media becomes defective, the user should place the defective media into the Retired Media set. Users can also place media in the Retired Media set to protect the media from being overwritten. This action is required when the media overwrite protection level is set to None (see important note on media overwrite protection level).

 

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH5459

[Larry_Fine]

Try moving the media to the Retired Media set, then deleting them.  Then run a scan and inventory on your library.  Then run a Quick Erase on the problem media.

[burnedout · Accepted solution]

We just had this happen on two servers, a Windows 2000 server and a Windows 2003 SBS, there was aparently a small Windows update that was installed and disabled our tape backup systems on both servers.  If you would put any tape in and inventory it you would get "Bad (retired) media" so here's what I did to fix both servers.

First I ran LiveUpdate on both Backup Exec 11D programs then I closed Backup Exec, I then stopped ALL Backup exec services (there's like 5 of them) then I went to START then CONTROL PANEL then SYSTEM then HARDWARE tab then DEVICE MANAGER and found the TAPE DRIVES listing then found the HEWLET PACKARD LTO ULTRIUM 2 DRIVE, right clicked on that drive and selected PROPERTIES then clicked on the DRIVER tab and selected ROLL BACK DRIVER. Closed those open windows, started up the Backup Exec services I ad stopped then opened Backup Exec and everything was working again, it would see the tapes we were using just as before.

Hope this helps!

Totally BurnedOut!

[tim8]

Is Removable Storage service stopped and disabled?

Yes. But when I used NTBackup to test hardware (Tape Drive and cartridges) I temporary started Removable Storage service.

try using HP LTT to erase the tape and see if this works...

The hardware works with no error (erase, write, read) and HP Support confirmed this.

Try moving the media to the Retired Media set, then deleting them. Then run a scan and inventory on your library. Then run a Quick Erase on the problem media.

I tried with no effect :( The cartridges got description "Bad Media" and moved to Retired Media set, Quik and Full Erase ended with error - Incorrect function.

P.S. BE worked fine for several month and I didn't make any changes with my backup system exepting Windows Update and Symantec LiveUpdate. After appearing this problem I updated firmware and drivers with no effect. All my cartridges now with the same problem including brand new. Maybe I've to reinstall BE? (But I don't know how to save and restore configuration of BE - All configuration in MS SQL bases?)

[tim8]

selected ROLL BACK DRIVER

I'll try this, thanx

[tim8]

burnedout, ROLL BACK DRIVER fixed my problem. Thank You very much!