Reducing deviation of read head position between writing and reading in a magnetic tape

A computer program product for offsetting a read head on a magnetic tape to improve verification, the computer program product comprising:

• one or more computer-readable tangible storage medium and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage medium, the program instructions executable by a processor, the program instructions comprising:
• program instructions to determine a write head width, a read head width, and a track pitch based on determining an LTO standard of the magnetic tape;
• based on determining the LTO standard of the magnetic tape is older than the LTO standard of a tape appliance, program instructions to use an equation 0<s<Wtp_old−WRH where s is the distance from a write head to an upper end of the read head, WRH is the read head width, and Wtp_old is the track pitch of the magnetic tape;
• program instructions to determine a distance of the read head from the write head using the write head width, the read head width, and the track pitch using an equation 0<s<Wtp−WRH, when (WRH<Wtp) where s is the distance from the write head to the upper end of the read head, WRH is the read head width, and Wtp is the track pitch;
• and
• program instructions to cause the tape appliance to relocate the read head on the magnetic tape to the determined distance, such that the read head does not extend beyond the track pitch.