Disclosed are embodiments of a system and method for detecting wrong storage media in data recovery processes. One embodiment can detect incorrect media via environmental factors such as source data type and format. One embodiment can detect incongruous media by pool membership. One embodiment can detect inappropriate media by comparing fingerprints. As each item is read, its fingerprint is calculated and compared to the overall fingerprint of a job. If the new fingerprint is different by some preset margin, a human inspector may be asked to validate the newly inserted storage medium. If valid, the overall signature for the job is revised to integrate the new signature. If not, the wrong medium is ejected and incorrectly loaded data is removed. Embodiments disclosed herein can detect the presence of a wrong medium quickly and early in a data recovery process, avoiding mistakes and saving time and costs.