...check your autoloader manufacturer's website and download their diagnostic utility (HP has Library & Tape Tools for example). Once done, run the diagnostics against the library and drive to rule out hardware errors. Stop the BE services first though as they will interfere with the process.

any failures reported will need to be checked out by the vendor.

I tried to cancel the job that is waiting for the tape that is stuck in the drive.  The tape remains in the drive with the Green "Play button" symbol and then I received the following alert:

TUE-AP-DUP-EXC-ISPF-2T -- The job failed with the following error: Physical Volume Library Media not found.

...go into Devices, right-click the server name and choose Pause. After 30 seconds, do the same and select Unpause and see if this has stopped BE accessing the drive.

If not, stop all the BE services (kill the processes if need be), and you will then be able to remove the tape.

pkh -

I think we're on the right track here with your solution.  After making this change things started making a little more sense on my backup system.  I still have the same issue however.   This time, my tape drive remained "In use" for some time, and then that message disappeared.   The strange thing is that it was in use even though there were no other jobs running at that time.    Then when my next job was ready to run, it again was looking for a tape, and again the tape was shown still in the drive and still being used by BEX.     At which point i tried to manually remove through my media changer itself (using the interface) and the system told me that the tape could not be ejected because it was in use.   

This tells me that either the system was still writing to it, or the drive itself has gotten stuck for some reason.

Welcoming further advice on this matter....

Hi PKH -

THank you for your advice.   I called my tape library vendor yesterday and went through some tests with them also to verify it was not the hardware.  Even to be safe, before pefroming your steps listed above, I updated my library firmware to the latest patch.   Right now I am at the same situation.   My 3rd job completes, BEX confirms that the job is complete and there are no other tape jobs running.   HOwever, after the job completes, the drive still has the tape as "In Use".   

Is there any log or location I can check to see what is still using the tape?   There are no jobs running and the library is not doing anything, but the tape remains in the drive "in use" by the software.

Cannot figure out this issue :(

Hello -

Yesterday I deleted and re-added the drive using the steps you posted.  After the job completed, the tape is still in the drive and shows in-use.

I dont know what BEX is doing though because there is no job running.

RIght now the Medium Changer is showing as unknown medium changer.   Driver provider is Microsoft, Driver date is 10/1/2002, Version: 5.2.3790, Digital Signer Microsoft.

Click on the driver details I see the following Driver files:

c:\windows\system32\drivers\gearaspiwdm.sys

c:\windows\system32\drivers\tpfilter.sys

I guess in this case I need to remove these driver files?  Should I try to just un-install the medium changer all together?

Trying now for the initialize.  I left my inventory running last evening and after 15 hours, it was still inventorying.

I have checked the hardware itself and everything is working fine and all is OK, but still I have problems with the library tapes not showing in BEX

...an Initialize doesn't take hours...it's normally a couple of seconds which indicates an issue with:

1. Tape library itself - get hold of your manufacturer's diagnostic utility and run it against the library to rule out hardware issues.

2. SCSI card problem - check your server's hardware monitoring tools to see if you have issues (ie. HP's System Management Homepage); also check the Event Viewer and make sure nothing shows up there;

3. SCSI cable break/damage which can affect comms between the server and the library.