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ERROR_BEGINNING_OF_MEDIA
the beginning of the tape or a partition was encountered.
ERROR_BEGINNING_OF_MEDIA means that a backward positioning or access operation reached the start of a tape or tape partition.
Where the result appears
- rewind and reverse-spacing commands.
- Restore tools navigating among tape files.
- partitioned tape media.
- diagnostic or inventory software querying sequential-media position.
Typical causes
- the requested reverse movement exceeds the current position.
- the drive is already at load point or partition start.
- the caller used an incorrect position or partition assumption.
- a previous operation rewound or repartitioned the medium.
What to collect
- current partition, file number, block number, and requested movement.
- previous positioning commands and drive completion statuses.
- media type and partition configuration.
- whether a tape library or another process changed drive state.
Handling and recovery
Treat the condition as a positioning boundary. Recalculate the desired location from a known load point or catalog coordinate instead of issuing repeated reverse commands. If the boundary is unexpected, verify that the correct cartridge and partition are loaded.
Common misinterpretation
The beginning-of-media condition does not mean the tape is blank. Data may begin at or after the current logical position.
References
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