It is probably your media set settings. If you are not already, don't use one of the default media sets, create one of your own, and add the media to it. You will need to change the job to point to that media set.

Go to Media>YourMediaSet Right click and set the following options "Overwrite Protection" 0 hours (disables it) and "Append Period" Infinite.

Also go to Tools>Options>Media Management and set the "Media overwrite protection level" to none and uncheck "Prompt before overwriting allocated or imported media".

Sometimes the test feature can be quirky. After you do this, run a regular job, not a test run.

If this does not work, post back.

Kevin,

Thanks for the quick response.

I believe I have everything set the way you described, but  Iwill recheck. The server is about 30 miles away from my work. I will be going there shortly and I will let you know what happens.

thanks again,

joe

Kevin,

The settings were already as you descibed.

I had created a media set when I set it up months ago.

I deleted the job and recreated it. Scheduled it to run last night. I will see if it worked later today.

One question, why can't I delete media from a set? WHen I right click on a media, the option to delete is grayed out. I am logged in as administrator.

Thanks,

joe

Move it to Retired Media, then you can delete it.

Thanks Kevin,

After I delete it, will it automatically associate tapes with my custom media set? Or do I need to prep the tapes somehow? These tapes would be the already used tapes.

Thanks,

joe

Put each tape in and run an inventory. After that it will be in Scratch Media. Move them to your media set.

Kevin,

If I put each tape in and run an inventory, do I still need to delete them first? 

Sorry for the basic questions.

joe

Probably not. If after you run the inventory job, you find the same tape listed twice, one off-line and one on-line, then you would, but that can be done after-the-fact.

Kevin,

I'm unable to make this work, thinking about getting a shotgun.

After moving the media to retired, then deleting it all, I then inventoried a tape. It did not put the tape in the Scratche Media set, it left it in the Retired set.

I then associated that tape with my custom media set. After attempting to run a job, I get :

THe media in the drive is wqritten in an urecognized format. Erase the media ..etc.

I would love to erase the tape, but the erase option is greyed out.

Who wrote this program and why are they torturing me?

Joe

Don't know why you are getting that error for media in the Retired Media set

But when you label a tape, DO NOT move it to one of your production media sets.  It will take on all properties of that set (including OPP and APP) as of the time of the move

Leave it in the Scratch media set and let BackupExec move it when the tape volume is opened and the new tape header written

Okay,

I figured out that you have to have media in the retired media group in order to delete it, and in order to erase it.

So, I deleted all the media, evry last stinkin' one.

Then, I put a tape in the drive. I right clicked on the drive and selected "quick erase". There was nothing quick about it. Job ran for an hour and ten minutes, then failed as follows:

Completed status: Failed Expand AllCollapse All Job Information

Server name : SERVER08
Job name    : Erase Drive 00005
Job log     : C:\Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\Data\BEX_SERVER08_00492.xml
Device name : QUANTUM 1

Utility Job Information Slot Barcode Media Label Status Device   4MM000010 The parameter is incorrect. QUANTUM 1
Job Completion Status

Job started     : Monday, January 26, 2009 12:45:50 PM
Job ended       : Monday, January 26, 2009 1:55:02 PM
Final error: 0x57 - The parameter is incorrect.
Final error category: Other Errors
Completed status: Failed

What the hell, the parameter is incorrect? It's a **bleep** deleted tape, belongs to no media set, does not exist!!!

I give up, I'm gonna write a Visual Basic script to do the backups, at least that's a new form of torture.

Joe

Try doing a LABEL instead of a quick erase

Ken,

Thanks for the idea. When doing a LABEL I get   "The parameter is incorrect".

Now, all I want to do is backup some files every week day. I have 10 tapes, 2 for each week day.I want to overwrite the tape each time.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Joe