A noncontact communication medium includes a processor, and a memory incorporated in or connected to the processor, and performs noncontact communication with an external communication device. The memory has a storage block where information regarding an attribute of the noncontact communication medium is stored and that includes a plurality of storage fields. The plurality of storage fields include a specification-independent storage field where information independent of a specification of a magnetic tape cartridge, in which the noncontact communication medium is mounted, is stored. The processor is configured to write accompanying information regarding the magnetic tape cartridge in the specification-independent storage field in response to an instruction given from the external communication device to the noncontact communication medium by the noncontact communication.

A noncontact communication medium includes a processor, and a memory incorporated in or connected to the processor, and performs noncontact communication with an external communication device. The memory has a storage block where information regarding an attribute of the noncontact communication medium is stored and that includes a plurality of storage fields. The plurality of storage fields include a specification-independent storage field where information independent of a specification of a magnetic tape cartridge, in which the noncontact communication medium is mounted, is stored. The processor is configured to write accompanying information regarding the magnetic tape cartridge in the specification-independent storage field in response to an instruction given from the external communication device to the noncontact communication medium by the noncontact communication.

A magnetic disk device includes a plurality of tracks and a controller. The controller receives write data to be written to a first sector of a track, generates a first data string based on the write data and a logical identifier for the first sector, attempts to cause the first data string to be written to the first sector, determines whether a write error has occurred while the first data string is written to the first sector, generates a second data string based at least in part on the first data string, and in response to determining that no write error has occurred while the first data string is written to the first sector, writes a parity data string that is based at least in part on the second data string to a second sector of the track that stores parity data for the track.

A magnetic disk device includes a plurality of tracks and a controller. The controller receives write data to be written to a first sector of a track, generates a first data string based on the write data and a logical identifier for the first sector, attempts to cause the first data string to be written to the first sector, determines whether a write error has occurred while the first data string is written to the first sector, generates a second data string based at least in part on the first data string, and in response to determining that no write error has occurred while the first data string is written to the first sector, writes a parity data string that is based at least in part on the second data string to a second sector of the track that stores parity data for the track.