|  |     I'm having what seems to be the same problem on an Intel machine
    running NT 3.51, SP4. Tape is FR-PCXLT-AB, that's the DLT between
    TZ87 and TZ88, called XT, holding 15/30 GB per tape.
    
    After installing NSR 4.3 from Legato, I deleted the tape device, as
    it had the default 4mm DAT, and instead created a new with type
    dlttape.
    
    Now I had big problems labelling and mounting a tape. Mostly I just got
    a popup saying "Monitoring device in progress on \\.\Tape0", and in
    the device box it said things like "monitoring device, moving backwards
    two files". Strange thing was that when I tried to just label, without 
    mounting, I sometimes managed to get the labelling interface, and could
    fill it in. But then I still couldn't mount, just said monitoring...
    
    Any way I let it be for an hour or so, and suddenly when I looked it
    was mounted! And that tape has been no problem mounting since. But I
    can't repeat it with another tape. Another thing was that if I tried
    using an old tape (earlier used on VMS) I got the "...current blocksize
    is incorrect" message. Had to erase it from NT backup on another
    machine, then labelling got the above result.
    
    Now, I got the tip to try changing back from dlttape to 4mm. And now
    labelling and mounting works like a dream... Also using old tapes is
    OK, even though I get an informational message about the incorrect 
    blocksize.
    
    OK, so what's the deal? Should I use 4mm for all tapes? What's the
    difference does it make in using either? 
    
    Rgds,
    Hans                             
 | 
|  | First, you received the "monitoring" messages because
you had "Auto media management" turned on for the
device.  Your subsequent inabilities to do a manual
label/mount were due to that feature.  If you want
to fly the beast yourself, turn off the auto-pilot first
(i.e., set "Auto media management" to "No").
Second, I suspect your troubles with the tape were
exactly due to what you said, they were old or
brand new or written by some obsure operating system
and had not been used by NetWorker
before.  I would suggest you manually erase 
(NetWorker does not have an erase facility) and
manually label (with NetWorker) such tapes.
NT backup or mt (smokem if you got em) will erase
the tapes.
It really doesn't matter whether you set NetWorker's
device type to "dlt" or "4mm", NetWorker will use
the device's loaded NT device driver regardless.
The type is more an operator informational convenience
in this case.
Mark
 | 
|  |     Thanks,
    
    the AMM must've been the culprit. Not that I remember setting it 
    to Yes, abd now I had the 4mm device as No. But recreating dlt device
    with AMM set to No, makes it OK to label all tapes, old ones also.
    
    Hans
    
 |