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From: bemery@nmsu.edu (Bryan Emery)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec,comp.unix.ultrix
Subject: HELP!!! Version 2
Keywords: tar
Message-ID: <136@opus.NMSU.Edu>
Date: 10 Sep 90 21:39:44 GMT
Sender: news@NMSU.Edu
Followup-To: poster
Lines: 30

This is concerning my second attempt at backing up my user files before I
attempted to install Ultrix 4.0.

I used the tar command as follows to create what I thought was one archive:
  tar c /usr/users
      this was to backup user files on my RZ55 disk.
At the completion of that, I did:
  tar r /usr2
      which I understood to mean that those files would be 'added' to the
      existing archive.

Now, after Ultrix 4.0 is installed, I do:
  tar xv
or
  tar tv
and get all the files from /usr/users and then get an error: 
  tar: ioctl MTBSF failed -4:  I/O Error

Strange thing is, if I do:
  cp /dev/nrmt0h backup.tar
I get a file that is about 64 megabytes big.  When I then do:
  tar tf backup.tar
I only see maybe 10 files out of /usr/users.  However, if I do:
  more backup.tar
and move down through the file, I can "see" some of my filenames that I need
to get.

Any suggestions???

Bryan Emery