Veritas kernel-mode drivers and tapeinst.exe are no longer installed if Backup Exec runs on Windows Server 2012 or later

Problem

If the Backup Exec server runs on Windows Server 2012 or later, the Configure Storage wizard option to Install tape device drivers is not available. Tapeinst.exe is not available from the default Backup Exec installation location.

Solution

Veritas tape device drivers installation is not required if Backup Exec runs on Windows Server 2012 and later.

Starting with Backup Exec 2014 the hardware compatibility list does not list any tape devices that require kernel-mode drivers. If older or unsupported tape devices are being used, test the devices before using Windows Server 2012 or later to determine the functionality in case kernel-mode drivers are required.

Veritas user-mode drivers can now access all supported tape devices. User-mode drivers have accessed most tape devices for multiple previous versions of Backup Exec. User-mode drivers are not visible in the Windows Device Manager. When no kernel-mode drivers are installed, the Windows Device Manager may show the tape drive with a yellow exclamation mark. This display is acceptable and does not prevent the use of the device with Backup Exec and the user-mode drivers. Kernel-mode drivers from Microsoft or from the tape hardware vendor are generally acceptable for installation. Backup Exec will continue to access the tape devices through the user-mode drivers.