Restore old tapes to BE9.0, error: No Backup Sets Found: URGENT

[cec3]

A user deleted data from system, having to go back to old Backup Exec 9.0 tapes to try to recover data. Built a standalone server with BE9.0 just to perform task. Run inventory just fine, but when I try to catalog, the job runs in 0-1 seconds. The message I get is "No Backup Sets Found", and I do not get any files to try to recover. I have only tried about 1/10th of the tapes I have, but have gotten this error on all I have tried so far. I really need to see what's on these tapes, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Please note: I loaded, inventoried and cataloged tape. I have already tried deleting Catalog folder and recreating. I have also unchecked "Use Storage Media-based Catalogs". None of that worked.

Here is the XML log.

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16" ?>
- <joblog>
  <job_log_version version="1.0" />
- <header>
  <filler>======================================================================</filler>
  <server>Job server: OPERATIONRECOV</server>
  <name>Job name: Catalog 0015</name>
  <start_time>Job started: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 4:37:52 PM</start_time>
  <type>Job type: Catalog</type>
  <log_name>Job Log: BEX00023.xml</log_name>
  <filler>======================================================================</filler>
  </header>
- <media_drive_and_media_info>
  Drive and media information from media mount:
  <drive_name>Drive Name: COMPAQ 1</drive_name>
  <media_label>Media Label: Monday_2 Tape 2</media_label>
  <media_guid>Media GUID: {A1C127F0-8DD6-4319-95A8-2ABF51B39FB4}</media_guid>
  <media_overwrite_date>Overwrite Protected Until: 12/31/9999 12:00:00 AM</media_overwrite_date>
  <media_append_date>Appendable Until: 1/1/1900 12:00:00 AM</media_append_date>
  </media_drive_and_media_info>
- <catalog>
  <filler>======================================================================</filler>
  <title>Job Operation - Catalog</title>
  <filler>======================================================================</filler>
  <no_backupsets_found>No backup sets found.</no_backupsets_found>
  </catalog>
- <footer>
  <filler>======================================================================</filler>
  <end_time>Job ended: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 4:37:52 PM</end_time>
  <engine_completion_status>Job completion status: Successful</engine_completion_status>
  <filler>======================================================================</filler>
  <completeStatus>19</completeStatus>
  </footer>
  </joblog>

[Ken_Putnam]

You shouldn't need to build out a v9 media server in order to restore from v9 tapes.  Any subsequent version should be able to read them

Are you sure that the tape media  you are using is compatible with the drive you are using?  ie LTO5 can  can read LTO4, &  LTO3 but not LTO2

[cec3]

I guess I wanted to be sure I didn't screw anything up, so I tried to completely duplicate the old conditions. It is the exact same tape drive (SDLT) the was used on the old server.

[Ken_Putnam]

Hmm

In that case it sounds like the tape has gone bad (tapes?) 

Was it stored in a climate controlled, EM protected location?

[cec3]

Honestly, we just tossed them into a box and stored them in our IT closet. They probably would have been trashed if I had cleaned my closet in the last 10 months. We moved to a NetBackup solution, so realy didn't think we would ever pull these out again.

I'm not quite ready to accept that the tapes are bad. I can still get the header information from every tape I put in the drive. It just won't catalog any of them.

[Ken_Putnam]

Got me, then

I have set the support flag for this thread to attract the attention of the Symantec Tech. or maybe someone else will jump in.

[cec3]

Thanks for your help!

[VJware]

Catalog Job completion shows successful...Have you actually opened the Restore Selections window & check if you are able to view the media for restore ( and do ensure that the beginning backup date & ending backup date are not checked ).

[cec3]

Yes, I have tried to go to the Restore Selections window. It comes back with an error "The selected media is not found in the catalogs. You must first catalog the media if you want to use it for restore operations".

So I go to the Catalogs folder to see what the catalogs actually show, and there is no catalog.