JSI Tip 1971. Ntbackup generates a Dr. Watson when starting to read a tape?

When you mount a non-MTF (Microsoft Tape Format) backup tape, Ntbackup may generate an access violation.

This doesn't happen all the time, only when you don't have time to deal with it.

The solution is to use another tape, or to try and erase it by starting ntbackup with the /nopoll switch (just for erasures, NOT for any other function).

NOTE: Starting with version 7.0, SQL server generates MTF tapes.