Dell NetWorker 19.9 Administration Guide

Tape drive number reordering (Microsoft Windows only)

If more than one tape drive is attached to the NetWorker server when both the server and drives are shut down, restart all of the tape drives, either before or immediately after the NetWorker server is restarted. If Windows does not locate all of its previously configured tape drives at the time of startup, it automatically reassigns the tape registry name.

For example, assume that these three tape drives are attached to the server:

• The first one, \\.\Tape0, is a 4 mm tape drive.
• The second, \\.\Tape1, is an 8 mm tape drive.
• The third, \\.\Tape2, is also an 8 mm tape drive.

If only the second and third tape drives are restarted, Windows reassigns the tape registry numbers so that the second storage device becomes \\.\Tape0 and the third storage device becomes \\.\Tape1. The tape registry numbers no longer match the defined storage devices within the NetWorker software. As a result, the server mishandles the drives and their volumes.

It might be easier to leave a nonoperational drive (device) attached to the server until a replacement is available. If the drive is removed, the name must be deleted, and then the new drive must be added.

To disable the drive, select No for the Enabled attribute in the device’s Properties.