Please insert overwritable media

[Reed]

We are getting the following error message in Backup Exec for Windows Servers 12 SP4: "Please insert overwritable media".  When we put in a blank tape we get the same message and the backup job will not run.  It seems to happen mainly on Wednesdays.

[David_Perrin]

You need to look at the media set your jobs are using.  The media set defines when tapes can be appended and overwritten.  If you try to use a tape that is in a different media set, you will get the "Please insert overwritable media" message also.  I believe this is a media set problem.

[Ken_Putnam]

When we put in a blank tape we get the same message

Had you moved the blank tape to the media set?  If so, it took on all properties of that set as of the move, including the OPP

As David says, take a look at the Media set this job uses.  What is the OPP for it?  Are your jobs Overwrite or Append?

[Reed]

Ken and David: Thank you for your replies.

As you suggested, I checked the Backup Exec media set.  All the tapes are in the same media set,  The media set says to Append to the tape.  If the tape is full the instructions specify to Overwrite the tape.  It's set to wait 1 hour before overwriting tapes after the job is done.

Wednesday most of the jobs hung or failed and wanted "overwritable media".  Last night (Thursday) everything backed up except 1 job.

We recently bought all new tapes and the system works much, much better.  Most jobs now complete successfully, except on Wednesdays.

To simplify things I moved the old tapes to the "Retired Media" media set.  Now the "Backup Media Set" only has new tapes in it.

I will wait until next Wednesday with the modified media set unless you have any other suggestions.

By the way we have a "HP Storage Works 1/8 Autoloader, LTO Ultrium 3" that can take up to 8 tapes and changes them automatically.