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ERROR_INVALID_BLOCK_LENGTH
when accessing a new tape of a multivolume partition, the current block size is incorrect.
ERROR_INVALID_BLOCK_LENGTH means that the block size configured for the tape drive does not match the size required by the newly loaded volume or backup set.
Where the result appears
- multi-volume tape backups and restores.
- fixed-block tape formats.
- media changes within a spanning archive.
- drive configuration carried over from a previous cartridge.
Typical causes
- the next volume was written with a different block size.
- the application failed to restore the cataloged block mode after media change.
- the wrong cartridge or backup family was loaded.
- drive, firmware, or format translation changed the effective block length.
What to collect
- configured and expected block sizes, variable/fixed mode, and drive capabilities.
- volume sequence, media identity, and backup format metadata.
- the final settings on the previous tape and first records on the new tape.
- sense data and any automatic block-size detection result.
Handling and recovery
Set the drive to the block mode recorded for that volume before resuming. Verify the cartridge sequence and format first; guessing block sizes can produce misleading reads. Keep block-size metadata with each volume rather than only with the overall job.
Common misinterpretation
The error is not about a caller’s ordinary memory buffer length. It describes the physical/logical tape block format.
References
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