What does Windows error code 1163 (ERROR_MAGAZINE_NOT_PRESENT) mean?

ERROR_MAGAZINE_NOT_PRESENT

The element exists in the library configuration, but its magazine is missing.

ERROR_MAGAZINE_NOT_PRESENT has decimal value 1163 (0x48B). Media changers can group storage elements in removable magazines. A request addressed an element associated with such a magazine, but the device reports that the magazine is not installed. This condition is not equivalent to an empty slot.

Operational causes

• an operator removed a magazine for off-site storage or bulk cartridge loading
• the magazine is inserted but not fully seated or latched
• a door-open sequence left the library inventory invalid
• software retained an element map from a different magazine configuration
• a sensor, cable, or firmware condition prevents presence detection

The cartridges inside an absent magazine cannot be inventoried or moved. A management application should mark that group unavailable instead of interpreting every contained slot as individually empty.

What to record

• changer serial number and magazine or partition identifier
• requested element address and its mapped magazine
• door, latch, magazine-present, and exception status reported by the device
• time of the last successful inventory and most recent operator action
• expected volume tags assigned to the unavailable elements

Recovery procedure

• pause jobs that depend on the affected magazine
• Verify physical insertion and latching according to the hardware manual
• close the enclosure and wait for the device's readiness transition
• initialize or refresh element status when the changer requires it
• reconcile discovered volumes with the library database before scheduling moves

If the magazine is intentionally off-site, the correct result is not an immediate retry. The scheduler should surface the required magazine or volume to an operator and wait for a deliberate mount event.

Administrator versus developer responsibilities

An administrator can inspect and reseat the physical magazine, but software must preserve the distinction between “absent container” and “empty location.” Developers should invalidate all elements belonging to a removed magazine and prevent stale bar-code assignments from being treated as current inventory.

Repeated automatic initialization can cause long mechanical scans and interfere with an operator who is still servicing the library. Use door and readiness events to start reconciliation once, not a tight polling loop.

Related results

ERROR_SOURCE_ELEMENT_EMPTY means a present, valid source has no media. ERROR_ILLEGAL_ELEMENT_ADDRESS means the address is outside the changer's element map. ERROR_DEVICE_DOOR_OPEN reports an enclosure state that may accompany magazine removal. Error 1163 specifically identifies the missing magazine that contains the element.

Example

A nightly archive job requests a tape recorded in Magazine B. The magazine was removed for transport during the afternoon, but the scheduler still lists its slots as online. The move returns 1163. Marking Magazine B offline, requesting operator insertion, and running inventory after the latch closes prevents repeated robotics errors and preserves cartridge location history.

References

• Microsoft: System Error Codes (1000–1299)
• Microsoft: IOCTL_CHANGER_GET_STATUS
• Microsoft: IOCTL_CHANGER_GET_ELEMENT_STATUS