Abstract: A unique and permanent identifier is provided for removable media. The identifier is preferably recorded in a previously unused or reserved portion of the media and can be generated from a combination of the originating drive serial number and the current date and time with a random number concatenated thereto. When a piece of media is loaded into a drive, the drive examines the reserved area for the presence of an identifier. If not present, the drive generates and records an identifier before performing whatever disk access operations have been requested. If the identifier is present, the drive is prevented from overwriting the identifier with a new one and the disk access operations are performed immediately. Once the media is provided with its identifier, the media, and any errors associated with the media, can be tracked throughout its life.