Hi, I am having a problem using windows backup in windows 2003. I have an 40 GB DAT Tape drive installed on this server and when i start a manual/scheduled backup, the pc will mount and rewind the tape, then when the backup has almost finished pop up an error reporing: "There are no more space available in the media , please replace the media". This error msg comes when it taken around 30 GB data backup.for your information my tape is 40 GB so why it is not utilising the rest 10 GB ? Has anyone ever met this problem? regards, Rajsekhar

One thing I've learned you never want to do on a tape backup is use over about 75% of the tape's capacity. That's asking for trouble and an unrecoverable backup. For some reason the native ntbackup seems unable to use all or most of a tape. I suggest you got to a multiple tape backup or reduce the size of your backup to fit within 75% of the tape size. This should eliminate the error and give you a backup you can restore.

The reason a tape rarely uses the whole tape is becoz it relies on compression to get the 40GB, however not all files will compress so take up more space and therefore impinge upon the 40GB limit. I have found that backup compression usualoly works at about 1.5 times ie a 40 GB tape will hold 30 GB a 20 will hold 15 etc etc

I agree with Niel S. I can only fit 23GB on my 20/40GB dat tapes. Which is why I am in the process of getting something a little better.