How to fix Error 1104 on Windows 11

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Troubleshooting Guide: Error 1104 – “No More Data Is On The Tape”

Why This Error Happens

Error 1104 occurs when a backup or restore operation reaches the physical or logical end of a tape medium (EOM) before the expected data set has been fully read or written. This is typically triggered by a corrupted tape header, a misconfigured backup job that spans multiple tapes without properly detecting the next volume, or a genuinely defective/degraded tape cartridge. It can also occur if the tape drive firmware or Windows tape driver miscommunicates the actual end-of-data marker, causing the system to prematurely flag the tape as exhausted.

Step-by-Step Resolution Guide

  1. Verify Tape Drive Recognition in Windows 11
    Open Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager) → expand Tape drives. Right-click your tape device → Update driver → Search automatically for drivers. If the driver is outdated or corrupted, reinstall it manually from the manufacturer’s site.

  2. Check the Tape Media Itself
    Insert a different, known-good tape and attempt the same backup/restore job. If the new tape works without Error 1104, the original tape is physically worn or corrupted and should be retired.

  3. Run Windows Server Backup / Tape Diagnostic Utility
    Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

   wbadmin get versions

This confirms whether the backup catalog recognizes the tape’s data set boundaries correctly. If the catalog is corrupted, rebuild it via:

   wbadmin delete catalog

(Note: this clears the backup catalog history — ensure you have alternate records first.)

  1. Inspect and Clean the Tape Drive Hardware
    Physically clean the tape drive heads using a manufacturer-approved cleaning cartridge. Dust or residue on the read/write heads is a common cause of premature EOM signals. Run the cleaning cycle, then retry the backup job.

  2. Adjust Backup Software Multi-Volume Settings
    If using third-party backup software (Veeam, Veritas NetBackup, etc.), go to Job Settings → Media Options and ensure “Enable multi-tape spanning” or equivalent is checked. This prevents the software from stopping at Error 1104 when a job legitimately requires multiple tapes.

Alternative or Verification Steps

  • Verify the fix: Run a small test backup job (a few MB) to the same tape and confirm it completes and reads back without triggering Error 1104.
  • Alternative solution: If the issue persists across multiple tapes and drives, use chkdsk and Event Viewer (Windows Logs → System) to rule out a failing SCSI/SAS controller or cable connection to the tape unit, as hardware-level communication errors can also masquerade as Error 1104.