Patent ID: 7440222

Claim:
A magnetic recording apparatus comprising: a composite magnetic head which includes a recording head and a reproducing head; and a magnetic storage medium in which data is recorded, including, a discrete area, having a plurality of tracks and a non-magnetic area between adjacent tracks, the tracks having a magnetic recording area where data can be written by the recording head, the data not being able to be written in the non-magnetic area by the recording head in the non-magnetic area, a correction information recording area, positioning correction information being able to be written in the correction information recording area used for positioning either the recording head or the reproducing head at each track center, and a center shift amount detection area, center shift amount detection information being previously recorded in the center shift amount detection area, the center shift amount detection information being for measuring a center shift amount which indicates a relative distance between a tracking center and an actual track center of the discrete area when either the recording head or the reproducing head is positioned at a track center, wherein the center shift amount detection area is provided in the discrete area.