Tape drive apparatus for judging an operational mode of the tape based on detected tape management information

摘要

When a tape cassette is mounted, a tape drive apparatus judges whether the tape cassette is of a first mode (normal mode) or a second mode (multi-partition mode) based on one or both of management information that is read out from the magnetic tape and management information that is read out from a memory (MIC) incorporated in the tape cassette. The tape drive apparatus then an performs an operation setting in accordance with the mode thus judged.