LTO-2 media is discontinued
New LTO-2 cartridges are no longer made. If you have LTO-2 archives, we can help you recover and migrate them. Call 01256 331614.
LTO-2 specifications
LTO-2 was released in 2003 and doubled the capacity and speed of the original LTO-1 format.
Native capacity200 GB
Compressed (2:1)400 GB
Native transfer rate40 MB/s
Compressed transfer rate80 MB/s
MediaMetal Particle
Data tracks512
Tape length / thickness609 m / 8.9 µm
Cartridge (W × L × H)102 × 105.4 × 21.5 mm
Which drives can read LTO-2?
- LTO-2 drives read and write LTO-2 and LTO-1.
- LTO-3 drives read and write LTO-2.
- LTO-4 drives read LTO-2 but cannot write to it.
- LTO-5 and newer drives cannot read LTO-2.
What to do with old LTO-2 tapes
LTO-2 cartridges can still hold readable data after 20 years if they have been stored well. The hard part is finding a working LTO-2, LTO-3 or LTO-4 drive, plus the backup software that wrote the tapes. If the data matters, migrate it now onto current LTO media. One LTO-9 cartridge holds the contents of 90 LTO-2 tapes.
Once the data has been migrated and verified, old cartridges should be securely destroyed or degaussed, especially if they hold personal data.