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STATUS_UNRECOGNIZED_MEDIA
The inserted medium format cannot be recognized
The drive detected media, but the storage stack could not interpret its physical format, geometry, partitioning, file system, or tape organization. The medium might belong to another device type, use an unsupported density, be blank, or be damaged.
Do not immediately reformat media that may contain required data. First identify the device, cartridge type, expected format, and whether another compatible reader can access it. For tape, compare drive capabilities and media generation; for block media, preserve an image when hardware errors are suspected.
What to inspect
- Record device model, media type, reported geometry or density, and expected format.
- Test with a known-compatible drive or read-only recovery path.
- Format only after confirming that no recoverable data or catalog relationship is needed.
References
- Microsoft: Windows storage driver interfaces
- Microsoft: TAPE_GET_MEDIA_PARAMETERS
- Microsoft Open Specifications: NTSTATUS values
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