Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!dptg!rutgers!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!cs.dal.ca!lane From: lane@cs.dal.ca (John Wright/Dr. Pat Lane) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Disaster with a tape drive...HELP!!! Message-ID: <1989Aug31.104848.11605@cs.dal.ca> Date: 31 Aug 89 10:48:48 GMT Distribution: comp Organization: Math, Stats & CS, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada Lines: 68 Some collegues of mine are in a terrible fix with a tape drive system on their AT clone, specifically an Alloy APT-40 which uses DC2000 mini data cartridges (we used 3M and DEI Series II Gold brands), records, I think, at 500KBS, and is used through a software program called TIP40. The drive saw relatively light use for about two years (I for one never trusted the thing) but always worked ok. In May, someone loaded several months of their work on a tape with no other backup (yes, I was amazed too). Sure enough, the drive refused to read the tape. It would read up to a point and crap out. The software then asks if you want to continue but cannot find any more files on the tape (after *much* whirring and buzzing). Similar problems (not as bad, but many tape errors) were observed on older tapes which had previously been readable. The company, when first contacted, said that there was a good ("90%") chance that a newer model drive would fix the problem. Alloy wanted the old drive back (which, apparently, they just trash) and something like $250 and my friends did as they were told. The new drive showed up (it is an Alloy Retriever/40 which is physically similar but has a new software package and supports a supposedly error correcting tape format; a program was supplied for reading tapes made with the older system). It still cannot read the tapes we have (it appears to make and read new tapes alright). Alloy's reaction now is that we're SOL. Personally I think it was a big mistake (one of many!) to send the original drive back. As it sounds like this drive was mis-aligned in such a way that the misalignment got worse as the tape went along and if there is any hope of reading the critical tape, it is in reproducing the misalignment. My colleagues estimate it will cost them $5000 to reproduce the work they lost. Questions: 1. Can any tape experts out there suggest anything we can do to recover more data off this tape? We'll try anything! 2. Are there tape recovery services that have specialized equipment and software to do this kind of work? Pointers/Recommendations? 3. Is this typical for this kind of tape drive? To crap out so miserably after two measley years (of very little use) does not impress me for great reliability. As well, this drive struck me as ponderously slow. Every time you turned around it would "retension" the tape, winding it back and forth from one end to the other for about two minutes while you twiddled your thumbs. A very frustrating piece of machinery. Are they all like this? Recommendations for better systems? 4. Should we have expected better from Alloy. Their drive dies after a couple of years (admittedly past the warranty), they soak us for another wad of $$$, and then say "well, too bad about the old tapes; new ones should be ok" (for how long, I wonder). This experience does not inspire me to say nice things about this company. How about you? Please mail me with any suggestions you may have for my friends' perdicament. They are desperate! John Wright ////////////////// Phone: 902-424-3805 or 902-424-6527 Post: c/o Dr Pat Lane, Biology Dept, Dalhousie U, Halifax N.S., CANADA B3H-4H8 Cdn/Eannet:lane@cs.dal.cdn Uucp:lane@dalcs.uucp or {uunet watmath}!dalcs!lane Arpa:lane%dalcs.uucp@uunet.uu.net Internet:lane@cs.dal.ca -- John Wright ////////////////// Phone: 902-424-3805 or 902-424-6527 Post: c/o Dr Pat Lane, Biology Dept, Dalhousie U, Halifax N.S., CANADA B3H-4H8 Cdn/Eannet:lane@cs.dal.cdn Uucp:lane@dalcs.uucp or {uunet watmath}!dalcs!lane Arpa:lane%dalcs.uucp@uunet.uu.net Internet:lane@cs.dal.ca