PURPOSE: To use the magnetic recording and reproducing device for the device for a narrow track by storing a mechanical deviation of a standard tape used for warranting mechanical compatibility of a magnetic recording and reproducing device with respect to a reference format to a storage means and taking a difference of the mechanical compatibility of the magnetic recording and reproducing device from the standard tape.

CONSTITUTION: A storage means 2 stores a mechanical deviation data 6 of a standard tape measured by a standard tape error measuring device 8 from the reference format and the deviation data 6 is outputted from the storage means 2. Then a track deviation data 7 outputted from a tracking error detection circuit 1 and the deviation data 6 from the storage means 2 are inputted to an arithmetic circuit 3, in which the data are subject to arithmetic processing thereby obtaining the absolute error from the reference format of the magnetic recording and reproducing device and making highly accurate adjustment independently of the error of the standard tape. Thus, the magnetic recording and reproducing device is used for a magnetic recording and reproducing device for a narrow track recording.