how "reformat" DLT IV tape from 20/40 to 40/80?

[Palle Girgensohn]

Um, OK, thanks for the input.

Will the VS80 tapes be readble in "full-featured" DLT machines, or is it a 
proprietary format?

/Palle

--On Saturday, November 06, 2004 09:18:28 +0000 "Bjoern A. Zeeb" 
<bzeeb-lists at lists.zabbadoz.net> wrote:

> On Sat, 6 Nov 2004, Palle Girgensohn wrote:
>
>> Hi!
>>
>> Just got a new taper, an HP DLT VS80. We previously had an Adic, 20/40.
>> The use the same type of tapes, DLT IV. Now, I want to keep using some
>> of the old tapes, but the HP won't write to them, and I believe that is
>> because they are just 20/40 GB, not 40/80 GB. I found some info saying
>> that the first time a tape is used, the taper writes info about the
>> density (or sets the density somehow).
>
> VS80 is NO "full-featured" DLT IV tape. You can only write to tapes
> previously written by a VS80 or that are blank (new or _correctly_
> degaussed).
>
> For a more detailed description (please see this link:
> http://quantum.broaddaylight.com/quantum_support/FAQ_33_4717.shtm
>
>
>> I use FreeBSD, so I expect mt(1) should somehow be able to perform the
>> trick.
>
> no; it's not a matter of trick. It simply cannot work.
> VS80 != DLT IV and that's it. HP wants to make extra money from you ;)
>
>
>> Any ideas how to fix this?
>
> buy a DLT IV tape drive, degauss your tapes or buy new tapes.
>
> sorry to say there aren't many other possibilities.
>
> --
> Greetings
> Bjoern A. Zeeb				bzeeb at Zabbadoz dot NeT