Magnetic tape reuse across products

A computer program product for enabling use of a magnetic tape by a tape drive not designed for a format of the magnetic tape, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by the tape drive to cause the tape drive to:

• write, by the tape drive, data tracks to a data band of the magnetic tape having servo bands flanking the data band,
• the writing being performed using a magnetic head that is not designed for a format of the magnetic tape,
• wherein the writing includes overwriting a portion of each of the servo bands with the data tracks.

A method, comprising:

• writing, by a tape drive, data tracks to a data band of a magnetic tape having servo bands flanking the data band, the writing being performed using a magnetic head that is not designed for a format of the magnetic tape,
• wherein an effective pitch of servo readers of the magnetic head used simultaneously during the writing matches a servo reader pitch specification of the format of the magnetic tape, wherein an average effective pitch of write transducers of the magnetic head is greater than a data track pitch specification of the format of the magnetic tape,
• wherein the writing includes overwriting a portion of each of the servo bands with the data tracks.