Recording apparatus having a function to prevent recording of a signal into a specific area of a recording medium

An apparatus for recording signals onto a recording medium which has first and second predetermined contiguous areas and is accommodated in a housing having a single movably engaged indicating means for indicating one of first, second, and third modes corresponding to one of first, second, and third positions of said single movably engaged indicating means, respectively, wherein moving said indicating means on said housing from one of said positions to another of said positions permits said apparatus to be changed to any one of said first, second, and third modes from any other one of said first, second, and third modes, said apparatus comprising:

• recording means for recording first and second kinds of signals into the first and second predetermined contiguous areas of the recording medium, respectively;
• detecting means for detecting the mode indicated by the indicating means;
• and
• controlling means for controlling said recording means in response to the detection by said detecting means such that writing operations into the first and second predetermined contiguous areas are enabled in the first mode, such that writing operations into the first predetermined contiguous area are enabled and writing operations into the second predetermined contiguous area are inhibited in the second mode, and such that writing operations into the first and second predetermined contiguous areas are inhibited in the third mode.