<PAGE>

     AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON AUGUST 21, 1997
                                                  REGISTRATION NO. 333-______
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549
                             ----------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                             ----------------------
                    ADVANCED DIGITAL INFORMATION CORPORATION
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

          WASHINGTON                                    91-1618616
(STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF             (I.R.S. EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NO.)
INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION)

                               10201 WILLOWS ROAD
                           REDMOND, WASHINGTON  98052
               (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES (ZIP CODE))

                    ADVANCED DIGITAL INFORMATION CORPORATION
                            1997 STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                            (FULL TITLE OF THE PLAN)

                           --------------------------

                               PETER H. VAN OPPEN
                             CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                    ADVANCED DIGITAL INFORMATION CORPORATION
                               10201 WILLOWS ROAD
                           REDMOND, WASHINGTON  98052
                                 (206) 881-8004
                      (NAME, ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER,
                   INCLUDING AREA CODE, OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)
                             ----------------------
                                    COPY TO:
                               LINDA A. SCHOEMAKER
                                  PERKINS COIE
                          1201 THIRD AVENUE, 40TH FLOOR
                         SEATTLE, WASHINGTON  98101-3099
                                 (206) 583-8888
                             ----------------------
                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   TITLE OF SECURITIES        AMOUNT TO BE            PROPOSED MAXIMUM                PROPOSED MAXIMUM              AMOUNT OF
     TO BE REGISTERED          REGISTERED        OFFERING PRICE PER SHARE(3)     AGGREGATE OFFERING PRICE(3)     REGISTRATION FEE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                           <C>                <C>                             <C>                             <C>
 Common Stock, no par           500,000
 value(1)                      shares (2)                 $17.1875                       $8,593,750                   $2,604
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

(1)  Includes associated Preferred Stock Purchase Rights.
(2)  Includes an indeterminate number of additional shares which may be
     necessary to adjust the number of shares reserved for issuance pursuant to
     such employee benefit plan as the result of any future stock split, stock
     dividend or similar adjustment of the Registrant's outstanding Common
     Stock.
(3)  Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(c) solely for the purpose of calculating the
     amount of the registration fee.  The price per share is estimated to be
     $17.1875 based on the average of the high ($17.375) and low ($17.00) sales
     prices for the Registrant's Common Stock on August 21, 1997, as reported by
     the Nasdaq National Market.

<PAGE>

                                     PART II

                 INFORMATION REQUIRED IN REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.   INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

          The following documents are hereby incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement:

               (a)    The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended October 31, 1996, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") on January 16, 1997 pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), which contains certified financial
statements for the most recent year for which such statements have been filed;

               (b)    All other reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to
Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year
covered by the Annual Report referred to above; and

               (c)    The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained
in the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 10 on July 30, 1996 pursuant
to Section 12(q) of the Exchange Act, including any amendments or reports filed
for the purpose of updating such description.

     In addition, all reports and documents filed by the Registrant with the
Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act
after the date hereof and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment
which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which
deregisters the securities covered hereby then remaining unsold shall also be
deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to
be a part hereof commencing on the respective dates on which such documents are
filed.

ITEM 6.   INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

          Sections 23B.08.500 through 23B.08.600 of the Washington Business
Corporation Act authorize a court to award, or a corporation's board of
directors to grant, indemnification to directors and officers on terms
sufficiently broad to permit indemnification under certain circumstances for
liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities Act").  Section 10 of the Registrant's Restated Bylaws provides for
indemnification of the Registrant's directors and officers against all expense,
liability and loss (including counsel fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes
or penalties and amounts to be paid in settlement) actually and reasonably
incurred in connection with any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or
proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative and whether
formal or informal, in which the director or officer is, was or becomes involved
by reason of the fact that the director or officer is or was a director or
officer of the Registrant, or that being or having been such a director or
officer of the Registrant, such director or officer is or was serving at the
request of the Registrant as a director, officer, trustee, employee or agent of
another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit
plan or other enterprise, whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action
by the director or officer in an official capacity as such a director, officer,
partner, trustee, employee or agent or in any other capacity while serving as
such a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee or agent.  The director or
officer is not indemnified for any action, suit, claim or proceeding instituted
by or at the direction of the director or officer unless such action, suit,
claim or proceeding is or was authorized by the Registrant's Board of Directors
or unless the action is to enforce the rights of indemnification.  No indemnity
may be provided by the Registrant for acts or omissions of the indemnitee
finally adjudged to be intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, for
conduct of the indemnitee finally adjudged to be in violation of
Section 23B.08.310 of the Washington Business Corporation Act, for any
transaction with respect to which it was finally adjudged that such indemnitee
personally received a benefit in money, property or services to which the
indemnitee was not legally entitled or if the corporation is otherwise
prohibited by applicable law from paying such indemnification.  The Registrant
has entered into an Indemnification Agreement with each of its directors and
executive officers which provides similar rights of indemnification.

          Section 23B.08.320 of the Washington Business Corporation Act
authorizes a corporation to limit a director's liability to the corporation or
its shareholders for monetary damages for acts or omissions as a director,
except in certain circumstances involving intentional misconduct, self-dealing
or illegal corporate loans or distributions, or any transaction from which the
director personally receives a benefit in money, property or services to which
the director is not legally


                                      II-1

<PAGE>

entitled.  Article 11 of the Registrant's Restated Articles of Incorporation
contains provisions implementing, to the fullest extent permitted by Washington
law, such limitations on a director's liability to the Registrant and its
shareholders.

          The Registrant also maintains an insurance policy insuring its
directors and officers against liability for certain acts or omissions while
acting in their official capacities.

ITEM 8.   EXHIBITS

  Exhibit Number                             Description
------------------    ----------------------------------------------------------

       5.1             Opinion of Perkins Coie regarding legality of the Common
                       Stock being registered

      23.1             Consent of Price Waterhouse LLP (see page II-5)

      23.3             Consent of Perkins Coie (included in opinion filed as
                       Exhibit 5.1)

      24.1             Power of Attorney (see Signature Page)

      99.1             1997 Stock Purchase Plan

ITEM 9.   UNDERTAKINGS

A.        The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1)    To file during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                 (i)    To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
of the Securities Act;

                 (ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent
post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration
Statement; and

                 (iii)  To include any material information with respect to the
plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement or
any material change to such information in this Registration Statement;

PROVIDED, HOWEVER that paragraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) above do not apply if the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the
Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

          (2)    That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

          (3)    To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

B.   The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange
Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual
report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by
reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.


                                      II-2

<PAGE>

C.   Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is
against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore,
unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against such
liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or
paid by a director, officer of controlling person of the Registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer of controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.


                                      II-3

<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Redmond, State of Washington, on the 20th day of
August, 1997.

                              ADVANCED DIGITAL INFORMATION CORPORATION

                              By:    /s/ Peter H. van Oppen
                                  ------------------------------------
                                     Peter H. van Oppen
                                     Chairman, President and
                                     Chief Executive Officer

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Each person whose individual signature appears below hereby authorizes and
appoints Peter H. van Oppen and Charles H. Stonecipher, and each of them, with
full power of substitution and full power to act without the other, as his true
and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent to act in his name, place and stead and to
execute in the name and on behalf of each person, individually and in each
capacity stated below, and to file, any and all amendments to this Registration
Statement, including any and all post-effective amendments with the Securities
and Exchange Commission or any regulatory authority.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated below on the 20th day of August, 1997.

               SIGNATURE                               TITLE

     /s/ Peter H. van Oppen             Chairman, President and Chief Executive
--------------------------------        Officer
       Peter H. van Oppen                    (Principal Executive Officer)

        /s/ Leslie S. Rock              Treasurer, Chief Accounting Officer
--------------------------------             (Principal Financial and 
          Leslie S. Rock                     Accounting Officer)

    /s/ Christopher T. Bayley
--------------------------------                       Director
      Christopher T. Bayley

      /s/ Walter P. Kistler
--------------------------------                       Director
        Walter P. Kistler

     /s/ Russell F. McNeill
--------------------------------                       Director
       Russell F. McNeill

       /s/ John W. Stanton
--------------------------------                       Director
         John W. Stanton

      /s/ Walter F. Walker
--------------------------------                       Director
        Walter F. Walker


                                      II-4
<PAGE>


                                                                    EXHIBIT 23.1

                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration
Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated November 27, 1996 included in Advanced
Digital Information Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
October 31, 1996.  We also consent to the application of such report to the
Financial Statement Schedule for the three years ended October 31, 1996 when
such schedule is read in conjunction with the financial statements referred to
in our report.  The audits referred to in such report also include the Financial
Statement Schedule.

PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
Seattle, Washington

August 20, 1997


                                      II-5

<PAGE>

                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS


  Exhibit Number                             Description
------------------     ---------------------------------------------------------

       5.1             Opinion of Perkins Coie regarding legality of the Common
                       Stock being registered

      23.1             Consent of Price Waterhouse LLP (see page II-5)

      23.3             Consent of Perkins Coie (included in opinion filed as
                       Exhibit 5.1)

      24.1             Power of Attorney (see Signature Page)

      99.1             1997 Stock Purchase Plan
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 18142}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "ADVANCED DIGITAL INFORMATION CORP", "cik": "0000770403", "assigned-sic": "3577", "irs-number": "911618616", "state-of-incorporation": "WA", "fiscal-year-end": "1031"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-34103", "film-number": "97667772"}, "business-address": {"street1": "10201 WILLOWS ROAD", "street2": "P O BOX 97057", "city": "REDMOND", "state": "WA", "zip": "98073-9757", "phone": "2068818004"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "10201 WILLOWS ROAD", "street2": "P O BOX 97057", "city": "REDMOND", "state": "WA", "zip": "98073-9757"}}
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON AUGUST 21, 1997
                                                  REGISTRATION NO. 333-______
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549
                             ----------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                             ----------------------
                    ADVANCED DIGITAL INFORMATION CORPORATION
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

          WASHINGTON                                    91-1618616
(STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF             (I.R.S. EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NO.)
INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION)

                               10201 WILLOWS ROAD
                           REDMOND, WASHINGTON  98052
               (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES (ZIP CODE))

                    ADVANCED DIGITAL INFORMATION CORPORATION
                            1997 STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                            (FULL TITLE OF THE PLAN)

                           --------------------------

                               PETER H. VAN OPPEN
                             CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                    ADVANCED DIGITAL INFORMATION CORPORATION
                               10201 WILLOWS ROAD
                           REDMOND, WASHINGTON  98052
                                 (206) 881-8004
                      (NAME, ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER,
                   INCLUDING AREA CODE, OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)
                             ----------------------
                                    COPY TO:
                               LINDA A. SCHOEMAKER
                                  PERKINS COIE
                          1201 THIRD AVENUE, 40TH FLOOR
                         SEATTLE, WASHINGTON  98101-3099
                                 (206) 583-8888
                             ----------------------
                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   TITLE OF SECURITIES        AMOUNT TO BE            PROPOSED MAXIMUM                PROPOSED MAXIMUM              AMOUNT OF
     TO BE REGISTERED          REGISTERED        OFFERING PRICE PER SHARE(3)     AGGREGATE OFFERING PRICE(3)     REGISTRATION FEE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, no par           500,000
 value(1)                      shares (2)                 $17.1875                       $8,593,750                   $2,604
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)  Includes associated Preferred Stock Purchase Rights.
(2)  Includes an indeterminate number of additional shares which may be
     necessary to adjust the number of shares reserved for issuance pursuant to
     such employee benefit plan as the result of any future stock split, stock
     dividend or similar adjustment of the Registrant's outstanding Common
     Stock.
(3)  Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(c) solely for the purpose of calculating the
     amount of the registration fee.  The price per share is estimated to be
     $17.1875 based on the average of the high ($17.375) and low ($17.00) sales
     prices for the Registrant's Common Stock on August 21, 1997, as reported by
     the Nasdaq National Market.
PART II

                 INFORMATION REQUIRED IN REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.   INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

          The following documents are hereby incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement:

               (a)    The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended October 31, 1996, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") on January 16, 1997 pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), which contains certified financial
statements for the most recent year for which such statements have been filed;

               (b)    All other reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to
Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year
covered by the Annual Report referred to above; and

               (c)    The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained
in the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 10 on July 30, 1996 pursuant
to Section 12(q) of the Exchange Act, including any amendments or reports filed
for the purpose of updating such description.

     In addition, all reports and documents filed by the Registrant with the
Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act
after the date hereof and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment
which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which
deregisters the securities covered hereby then remaining unsold shall also be
deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to
be a part hereof commencing on the respective dates on which such documents are
filed.

ITEM 6.   INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

          Sections 23B.08.500 through 23B.08.600 of the Washington Business
Corporation Act authorize a court to award, or a corporation's board of
directors to grant, indemnification to directors and officers on terms
sufficiently broad to permit indemnification under certain circumstances for
liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities Act").  Section 10 of the Registrant's Restated Bylaws provides for
indemnification of the Registrant's directors and officers against all expense,
liability and loss (including counsel fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes
or penalties and amounts to be paid in settlement) actually and reasonably
incurred in connection with any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or
proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative and whether
formal or informal, in which the director or officer is, was or becomes involved
by reason of the fact that the director or officer is or was a director or
officer of the Registrant, or that being or having been such a director or
officer of the Registrant, such director or officer is or was serving at the
request of the Registrant as a director, officer, trustee, employee or agent of
another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit
plan or other enterprise, whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action
by the director or officer in an official capacity as such a director, officer,
partner, trustee, employee or agent or in any other capacity while serving as
such a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee or agent.  The director or
officer is not indemnified for any action, suit, claim or proceeding instituted
by or at the direction of the director or officer unless such action, suit,
claim or proceeding is or was authorized by the Registrant's Board of Directors
or unless the action is to enforce the rights of indemnification.  No indemnity
may be provided by the Registrant for acts or omissions of the indemnitee
finally adjudged to be intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, for
conduct of the indemnitee finally adjudged to be in violation of
Section 23B.08.310 of the Washington Business Corporation Act, for any
transaction with respect to which it was finally adjudged that such indemnitee
personally received a benefit in money, property or services to which the
indemnitee was not legally entitled or if the corporation is otherwise
prohibited by applicable law from paying such indemnification.  The Registrant
has entered into an Indemnification Agreement with each of its directors and
executive officers which provides similar rights of indemnification.

          Section 23B.08.320 of the Washington Business Corporation Act
authorizes a corporation to limit a director's liability to the corporation or
its shareholders for monetary damages for acts or omissions as a director,
except in certain circumstances involving intentional misconduct, self-dealing
or illegal corporate loans or distributions, or any transaction from which the
director personally receives a benefit in money, property or services to which
the director is not legally

                                      II-1
entitled.  Article 11 of the Registrant's Restated Articles of Incorporation
contains provisions implementing, to the fullest extent permitted by Washington
law, such limitations on a director's liability to the Registrant and its
shareholders.

          The Registrant also maintains an insurance policy insuring its
directors and officers against liability for certain acts or omissions while
acting in their official capacities.

ITEM 8.   EXHIBITS

  Exhibit Number                             Description
------------------    ----------------------------------------------------------

       5.1             Opinion of Perkins Coie regarding legality of the Common
                       Stock being registered

      23.1             Consent of Price Waterhouse LLP (see page II-5)

      23.3             Consent of Perkins Coie (included in opinion filed as
                       Exhibit 5.1)

      24.1             Power of Attorney (see Signature Page)

      99.1             1997 Stock Purchase Plan

ITEM 9.   UNDERTAKINGS

A.        The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1)    To file during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                 (i)    To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
of the Securities Act;

                 (ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent
post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration
Statement; and

                 (iii)  To include any material information with respect to the
plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement or
any material change to such information in this Registration Statement;

PROVIDED, HOWEVER that paragraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) above do not apply if the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the
Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

          (2)    That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

          (3)    To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

B.   The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange
Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual
report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by
reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

                                      II-2
C.   Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is
against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore,
unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against such
liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or
paid by a director, officer of controlling person of the Registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer of controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.

                                      II-3
SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Redmond, State of Washington, on the 20th day of
August, 1997.

                              ADVANCED DIGITAL INFORMATION CORPORATION

                              By:    /s/ Peter H. van Oppen
                                  ------------------------------------
                                     Peter H. van Oppen
                                     Chairman, President and
                                     Chief Executive Officer

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Each person whose individual signature appears below hereby authorizes and
appoints Peter H. van Oppen and Charles H. Stonecipher, and each of them, with
full power of substitution and full power to act without the other, as his true
and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent to act in his name, place and stead and to
execute in the name and on behalf of each person, individually and in each
capacity stated below, and to file, any and all amendments to this Registration
Statement, including any and all post-effective amendments with the Securities
and Exchange Commission or any regulatory authority.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated below on the 20th day of August, 1997.

               SIGNATURE                               TITLE

     /s/ Peter H. van Oppen             Chairman, President and Chief Executive
--------------------------------        Officer
       Peter H. van Oppen                    (Principal Executive Officer)

        /s/ Leslie S. Rock              Treasurer, Chief Accounting Officer
--------------------------------             (Principal Financial and 
          Leslie S. Rock                     Accounting Officer)

    /s/ Christopher T. Bayley
--------------------------------                       Director
      Christopher T. Bayley

      /s/ Walter P. Kistler
--------------------------------                       Director
        Walter P. Kistler

     /s/ Russell F. McNeill
--------------------------------                       Director
       Russell F. McNeill

       /s/ John W. Stanton
--------------------------------                       Director
         John W. Stanton

      /s/ Walter F. Walker
--------------------------------                       Director
        Walter F. Walker

                                      II-4
EXHIBIT 23.1

                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration
Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated November 27, 1996 included in Advanced
Digital Information Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
October 31, 1996.  We also consent to the application of such report to the
Financial Statement Schedule for the three years ended October 31, 1996 when
such schedule is read in conjunction with the financial statements referred to
in our report.  The audits referred to in such report also include the Financial
Statement Schedule.

PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
Seattle, Washington

August 20, 1997

                                      II-5
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

  Exhibit Number                             Description
------------------     ---------------------------------------------------------

       5.1             Opinion of Perkins Coie regarding legality of the Common
                       Stock being registered

      23.1             Consent of Price Waterhouse LLP (see page II-5)

      23.3             Consent of Perkins Coie (included in opinion filed as
                       Exhibit 5.1)

      24.1             Power of Attorney (see Signature Page)

      99.1             1997 Stock Purchase Plan