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overwritten tape

Many people don't realize that if you simply do "tar cvf /dev/rStp0" (which writes nothing but an EOT mark), you can't get data off that tape with ordinary equipment. Well, at least not with any tools or equipment you are likely to have. If you actually overwrote the tape with new data, it's even worse.

It is POSSIBLE for a data recovery firm to get some of it back, or maybe even all of it if you have enough money, but it isn't at all easy, and it wouldn't be cheap. I'm not talking small money here.. this would be real esoteric stuff that would be going after overwritten magnetic domains until it reached the EOT mark. The EOT mark itself is a killer of data, and it's impossible to move beyond it with ordinary equipment. Even writing JUST an EOT at the beginning of a tape is a problem and of course if you have overwritten a tape you have done much more.

You should have multiple backups, should write protect important tapes and should use a supertar.

If you simply have corrupted data, that's different: see corrupt data tape?.

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