Tape volume overwrite protection during error recovery

A computer program product for protecting overwrite of a tape volume, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a controller to cause the controller to perform a method comprising:

• detect, by the controller, an error while writing data to a tape volume;
• reposition the tape in response to detecting the error;
• determine, by the controller, based on a current position of the tape after the repositioning, whether a rewrite of data associated with the error to the tape volume is allowed;
• and
• rewrite, by the controller, the data to the tape volume in response to determining that the rewrite of data associated with the error to the tape volume is allowed.

An apparatus-implemented method, comprising:

• detecting an error while writing data to a tape volume;
• receiving a positional indicator;
• repositioning the tape in response to detecting the error;
• determining a current position of the tape after the repositioning;
• and
• determining whether a rewrite of data associated with the error to the tape volume is allowed based on a comparison of the current position of the tape to the positional indicator.