Patent ID: 6906881

Claim:
A method to erase a magnetic tape, wherein said magnetic tape comprises at least one servo pattern comprising an interface between a first recorded signal and a second recorded signal, comprising the steps of: providing a tape drive, wherein said tape drive comprises a servo system capable of track following said servo pattern; mounting a magnetic tape in said tape drive, wherein said magnetic tape comprises a physical beginning of tape (“PBOT”), a physical end of tape (“PEOT”), and information written on said magnetic tape between said PBOT and said PEOT; establishing one or more critical portions located on said magnetic tape; moving said magnetic tape in a first direction; writing a null pattern to said magnetic tape; determining if said servo system is track following said servo pattern; determining if each of said one or more critical portions have been erased; operative if each of said one or more critical portions have not been erased, providing an error message.