Erasing media

Use this option to erase all data from your backup media. ARCserveIT also erases all references to the contents of this media (if any) from the database. When and if you re-format the media, its physical history (read and write passes, etc.) will be carried over.

There are three erase options from which you can choose: Quick Erase, Quick Erase Plus and Long Erase.

Quick Erase

A Quick Erase takes much less time than a Long Erase because it only overwrites the current media label. Although technically there is still data on the media, it is effectively gone without the media label. Quick erase is useful if you want to re-use ARCserveIT media (in the same media pool), but you don't have time to wait for a full media erase. Also, if you want to force GFS to use media, do a quick erase on it.

Quick Erase Plus

If you want to use the media again but want to associate it with a different media pool, select Quick Erase Plus. This option erases the label and the serial number which ARCserveIT uses to identify each media.

Long Erase

A Long Erase completely removes all data from the media. It takes much longer than either of the Quick Erase methods, but the media is considered blank, as if it were just formatted. For security reasons, if you want to make sure that the data on a media is gone completely, use Long Erase.

A Long Erase can take a few hours to complete.

Use this option with care! Once you perform an Erase on a given media, any data contained on it is lost permanently.

Steps for Erasing media

To erase data from a selected media, follow the steps below:

1. Open the Device Manager.

2. Select the changer or one of its associated slots from the Device Manager window.

If you select the Changer icon (or one of its related slot icons) ARCserveIT displays the Erase dialog box containing the changer-related information. Otherwise, the Erase dialog box displayed will be associated with a single media.

3. Select the Erase icon.

4. Select the media you want to erase.

5. Select the erase mode that suits your requirements.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for all the media you want to erase.

7. Click OK to start erasing the media.