Caring for Your Tape Drive
Choosing Tapes for Your Tape Drive
4-4
Erasing Tapes
The Erase or Format utility provided by most backup applications is the
safest and quickest method of removing data from your tapes.
Caution
Do not erase any type of T20-compatible tape with bulk erasers. Magnetic
bulk erasing removes the tracking reference points that are placed on the
tape at the factory. Without these points, the tapes cannot be read by your
tape drive.
Retensioning Tapes
Most backup applications include a Tape Retension function. You should
retension your tape every time it is inserted into the tape drive. The
retension function fast-forwards and rewinds the tape, settling the tape
pack. This helps guarantee the reliability of data transfer when backup
operations are performed.
