Formatting media in a drive

Use Format media to format the media currently in the drive. Most devices do not support formatting. If formatting is not supported, the option is not available.

If you use Format on a DC2000 tape, the formatting may take two or more hours to complete.

Caution:

Formatting erases the media. All data on the media is lost.

To format media in a drive

  1. On the navigation bar, click Devices.

  2. Expand the server icon, click Stand-alone Drives, or if the drive is attached to a robotic library, click Robotic Libraries.

  3. Select the drive or slot containing the media you want to format.

  4. Under Media Tasks in the task pane, select Format media.

    The media label that is displayed was read during the last inventory operation. The media label displayed does not change until another inventory operation occurs. Therefore, if you changed media in the slot or drive but did not run Inventory, the media label displayed may not match the actual media in the slot or drive.

  5. To format the media that is displayed, click Yes.

  6. Select the appropriate options as follows:

    Job name

    Type a name for the job or accept the default name.

    Job priority

    Select the priority for the job.

    Available options are as follows:

    • Lowest

    • Low

    • Medium

    • High

    • Highest

  7. If you want a person or group to be notified when the job completes, on the Properties pane, under Settings, click Notification, and select the options you want.

    See Assigning notification recipients for completed jobs.

  8. Click Run now.

    The job will be submitted as a Run now job, unless you submitted the job on hold. You can monitor the Format operation from the Job Monitor.

    You cannot cancel a Format operation after it has started; however, you can use Cancel to stop a queued Format operation.