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ERROR_DEVICE_NOT_PARTITIONED
tape partition information could not be found when loading a tape.
ERROR_DEVICE_NOT_PARTITIONED means that a tape operation expected partitioned media, but the loaded cartridge did not expose the required partition information. In this case, the decisive context is restore jobs targeting a named tape partition, together with media identity, drive model/firmware, expected partition count, and catalog record.
Where the result appears
- restore jobs targeting a named tape partition.
- partition-aware backup products.
- media copied, erased, or initialized by another system.
- drives that emulate or translate partition support.
Typical causes
- the cartridge was never partitioned.
- partition metadata was erased, damaged, or written in an incompatible format.
- the wrong medium was loaded.
- the drive or firmware does not support the expected partition scheme.
Evidence to collect
- media identity, drive model/firmware, expected partition count, and catalog record.
- results of capability and partition queries.
- recent erase, format, migration, or media-cloning operations.
- sense information and whether another drive can read the partitions.
For this condition, begin the investigation with media identity, drive model/firmware, expected partition count, and catalog record. Correlate it with results of capability and partition queries and check whether the cartridge was never partitioned. Capture the original this result immediately after the failing call so later cleanup does not replace the thread-local error value.
Handling and recovery
Confirm that the job selected the correct cartridge and that partitioning is actually part of its format. Do not create new partitions on media that may contain recoverable data. Route unknown or damaged media to controlled inspection.
Any retry policy for this Win32 error should be tied to evidence that partition metadata was erased, damaged, or written in an incompatible format has changed. Before another attempt, verify recent erase, format, migration, or media-cloning operations. If the drive or firmware does not support the expected partition scheme still applies, stop the retry sequence and preserve the first diagnostic event.
Common misinterpretation
The term “device” refers to sequential media in this context; it is not a general statement that the Windows disk lacks a partition table.
Guidance for developers
When surfacing this result through another layer, retain its Win32 domain, numeric value, and the operation described by partition-aware backup products. A useful telemetry record also includes sense information and whether another drive can read the partitions. For a-related handling, decisions must use the numeric value and documented API contract rather than localized wording.
A focused test should reproduce the condition in which the wrong medium was loaded, assert this result, and confirm that the program releases resources associated with media copied, erased, or initialized by another system. The recovery test should also verify that media identity, drive model/firmware, expected partition count, and catalog record is refreshed before the operation resumes.
References
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