A recording control apparatus that records data on a recording medium, the recording control apparatus comprising: position recording means for performing control so that, upon completion of recording of data on the recording medium, a recording start position for next recording of data is recorded on the recording medium; and initialization means for initializing the recording medium; wherein the recording medium includes recording means and a register, the recording means including a data recording area for recording data and a management area for managing the data recording area, and a register for holding the recording start position, wherein the recording control apparatus further comprises: control means for performing control in such a manner that in a case where the initialization means executes first initialization processing, said first initialization processing and, additionally, a clear processing for clearing the recording start position recorded on the register of the recording medium are executed, and in a case where the initialization means executes second initialization processing, the second initialization processing is executed, wherein the first initialization processing is processing for initializing the management area in the recording medium, without initializing the data recording area in the recording medium, wherein the second initialization processing is processing for initializing the management area and the data recording area in the recording medium, wherein in initializing the data recording area, an erase command is issued, which erases the entire data in said recording area and the data held in the register of the recording medium, and wherein the first initialization processing is executed when a user instructs logical formatting of the recording medium, and the second initialization processing is executed when a user instructs physical formatting of the recoding medium. position recording means for performing control so that, upon completion of recording of data on the recording medium, a recording start position for next recording of data is recorded on the recording medium; and initialization means for initializing the recording medium; wherein the recording medium includes recording means and a register, the recording means including a data recording area for recording data and a management area for managing the data recording area, and a register for holding the recording start position, wherein the recording control apparatus further comprises: control means for performing control in such a manner that in a case where the initialization means executes first initialization processing, said first initialization processing and, additionally, a clear processing for clearing the recording start position recorded on the register of the recording medium are executed, and in a case where the initialization means executes second initialization processing, the second initialization processing is executed, wherein the first initialization processing is processing for initializing the management area in the recording medium, without initializing the data recording area in the recording medium, wherein the second initialization processing is processing for initializing the management area and the data recording area in the recording medium, wherein in initializing the data recording area, an erase command is issued, which erases the entire data in said recording area and the data held in the register of the recording medium, and wherein the first initialization processing is executed when a user instructs logical formatting of the recording medium, and the second initialization processing is executed when a user instructs physical formatting of the recoding medium. control means for performing control in such a manner that in a case where the initialization means executes first initialization processing, said first initialization processing and, additionally, a clear processing for clearing the recording start position recorded on the register of the recording medium are executed, and in a case where the initialization means executes second initialization processing, the second initialization processing is executed, wherein the first initialization processing is processing for initializing the management area in the recording medium, without initializing the data recording area in the recording medium, wherein the second initialization processing is processing for initializing the management area and the data recording area in the recording medium, wherein in initializing the data recording area, an erase command is issued, which erases the entire data in said recording area and the data held in the register of the recording medium, and wherein the first initialization processing is executed when a user instructs logical formatting of the recording medium, and the second initialization processing is executed when a user instructs physical formatting of the recoding medium.