<div>
The tapes should be backward compatible, ESPECIALLY for READ purposes (Writes may not be).
</div>


<div>
I volunteered my time to locate an answer that directly answered your question. &nbsp;Could you spare a minute or two to include a comment as to why the answer was not an &quot;A&quot; grade?
</div>


<div>
<div class="content wysiwyg-content">
2 weeks ago I installed a new HP LTO3 tape drive. &nbsp;An employee now needs some information off one of the older tapes. &nbsp;Can I use the LTO2 Tape in the LTO3 libary to perform a restore?
</div>
</div>


2 weeks ago I installed a new HP LTO3 tape drive.  An employee now needs some information off one of the older tapes.  Can I use the LTO2 Tape in the LTO3 libary to perform a restore?

Does anyone know if you can use a LTO2 in a LTO3 tape library for the purpose of a restore?

Computer data storage, often called storage or memory, is a technology consisting of computer components and recording media used to retain digital data. In addition to local storage devices like CD and DVD readers, hard drives and flash drives, solid state drives can hold enormous amounts of data in a very small device. Cloud services and other new forms of remote storage also add to the capacity of devices and their ability to access more data without building additional data storage into a device.

Storage

The term "Backup" means the methods and processes involved to copy computer data (system data as well as application data) to media other than the ones where the data originally live (disk, tape, optical, cloud). "Restore" in turn means the methods and processes involved in data recovery, i. e., bringing back copied computer data to their original location. Backup/Restore primarily serves as a means of protection against data loss, be it due to disaster, corruption or sabotage. It can also be used for recovering data from an earlier point in time and even for cloning machines or applications. There is a wide variety of backup/restore software available, from expensive commercial products to free or open source tools.