Removable Storage Recognizes the Tape Drive but It Does Not Recognize Any Media in the Drive (327559)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
This article was previously published under Q327559

SYMPTOMS

When you use a tape library on a Windows 2000-based or a Windows XP-based computer, Removable Storage Manager (RSM) recognizes the tape drive but it does not recognize any media in the drive, even after you perform a full inventory. Because Removable Storage does not recognize the media, the media pools cannot be created under the free, the import, or the unrecognized system pools.

Note This problem typically occurs after the tape drive has been in operation for several weeks or months.

Because Removable Storage does not recognize the media in the drive, this problem prevents you from performing the following tasks:
  • Preparing new media
  • Reading a tape
  • Writing to an existing tape
  • Performing a full inventory
If you try to perform a backup, you receive the following error messages from Ntbackup:
There is no unused media available with the selected type.

-and-

Add unused media or click cancel to select another type.
If you move the tape drive to another computer, the tape drive still does not work and you may also notice that Removable Storage media pools are not created under the free, import, or unrecognized system pools on the new computer.

CAUSE

This problem may occur if the tape drive is reporting a "dirty" status. When the tape drive reports this status, it also reports that the drive is empty. When Removable Storage performs a recheck of the On-Media Identifier (OMID) during an inventory, if the drive does not report itself as having media, you may not check to confirm that the tape drive is reporting itself as dirty.

RESOLUTION

Windows XP service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Windows XP. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322389 How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack

Windows 2000 service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Windows 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

260910 How to Obtain the Latest Windows 2000 Service Pack

Hotfix Information

A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to computers that are experiencing this specific problem. This fix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Windows 2000 service pack that contains this fix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The typical support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The English version of this fix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel. 
   Date         Time   Version            Size    File name
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   13-Sep-2002  16:35  5.0.2195.6057     169,232  Ntmsdba.dll      
   13-Sep-2002  16:35  5.0.2195.6049     401,168  Ntmssvc.dll
Note To view the version of these files, right-click the file in Windows Explorer, click Properties, and then click the Version tab.

Windows XP

A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to computers that are experiencing this specific problem. This fix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Windows XP service pack that contains this fix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The typical support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The English version of this fix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel. 
   Date         Time   Version            Size    File name
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   15-Jan-2003  17:19  5.1.2600.1156     165,888  Ntmsdba.dll      
   15-Jan-2003  17:19  5.1.2400.1156     396,288  Ntmssvc.dll

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, obtain a cleaning tape for the model of tape drive you that you are using and then follow the manufacturer instructions to clean the tape.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

Windows 2000

This problem was first corrected in Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4.

Windows XP

This problem was first corrected in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2.

MORE INFORMATION

To confirm that you are experiencing the problem that is described in this article, watch the tape activity light on the tape drive and monitor the Removable Storage work queue while you perform a full inventory against the drive. To perform a full inventory:
  1. Insert a tape into the tape drive and wait for the drive to become ready.
  2. Start Removable Storage, and then click the tape library under Physical Locations.
  3. Right-click the library, click Properties, change the inventory type from Fast to Full, and then click OK.
  4. Right-click the library again, and then click Inventory.

    Removable Storage reads the OMID on the tape. If you look in the work queue, you notice that Removable Storage performs an inventory and an Identify Media operation.
If you notice that the inventory and the Identify Media operation finish very quickly and if the activity light on the tape drive never flashes, you are probably experiencing the problem that is described in this article.

For additional information about how to obtain a hotfix for Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

265173 Datacenter Program and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server Product

For additional information about how to install multiple hotfixes with only one reboot, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

296861 How to Install Multiple Windows Updates or Hotfixes with Only One Reboot

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:9/30/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbWinXPsp2fix kbWinXPpreSP2fix kbWin2kSP4fix kbQFE kbbug kbfix KB327559
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