cannot read old DDS-3, DDS-4, and DAT 72 tapes on rebuilt server

[Goatberg]

I took over for an I.T. manager who used some DDS-3, DDS-4, and DAT72 tapes to backup a server several years ago. Those tapes are old backup media and we will wipe and destroy the DDS-3 and DDS-4 tapes.

The server that was used to perform the backups has been wiped clean. The tapes have been in storage for a few years. Before wiping the backup tapes I would like to read what is on them but I cannot read the tapes at all when I insert one into the tape drive.

The server has been rebuilt with Windows 2003 server. If I put a DDS-3 or DDS-4 tape into the drive then Windows does not display the drive for viewing in Windows Explorer. I thought maybe I needed to install Backup Exec in order to view what is on the tape but I am having trouble with that also. I have Backup Exec 8.5 and 10.0 install CDs.

If I have a tape in the drive and try to perform a restore then backup exec says something about the media not being in the catalog. I think there is no catalog at all since the old server was wiped clean. Am I supposed to be able to read these tapes without a catalog? Is it possible to read the tapes without Backup Exec? The tapes were originally created with Backup Exec.

Ultimately the main thing would be to make sure the tapes get wiped so if I can't read the tapes then it is not the end of the world but it would be nice to be able to do on some of the tapes we might want to keep. Can Backup Exec be used to wipe tapes? If so how?

I am not that experienced with Backup Exec so any help is welcome and appreciated.

[Kunal_Mudliyar1]

= Make sure that the tape drive show under the device manager

= Install Backup Exec 10.0

= Insert the tabe

= Goto the devices tab and right click on the tape drive and run an inventory job.

= Check the job monitor for the status of this job

= Later goto the devices tab and run a catalog job, it will create catalog of the information on the tape

= Check the restore option to know whats inside the tape

If you want to wipe the tape

= Insert the tape, goto the devices tab

= Run an inventory job on the tape drive by right clicking on it

= Once the inventory job is completed , goto the devices tab and run an Erase job

[pkh]

The first thing that you need to do is to make sure that the tape drive is functioning correctly in the Windows Device Manager. BE will not be able to use the drive if it is not functioning correctly in Windows. To erase your tape properly you need to do a long erase. Erase just wipe out the header.

[Goatberg]

Kunal and pkh,

Thanks for the info.  This helped me find what was on the tape.

I was able to do a "Quick Erase" on a tape but for some reason when I am on the Devices tab and I right click the drive when there is a tape in it then the "Long Erase" is not available to me.  I can select the "Quick Erase" but the "Long Erase" is greyed out.  Why would that be?

[Biker_Dude]

What's the make and model of the tape drive?