Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!mcsun!ukc!stl!robobar!ronald From: ronald@robobar.co.uk (Ronald S H Khoo) Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix.misc Subject: Re: backup program for xenix? Message-ID: <1991Feb19.154228.6510@robobar.co.uk> Date: 19 Feb 91 15:42:28 GMT References: <1991Feb17.065756.14535@nntp-server.caltech.edu> <1991Feb17.222611.29265@bilver.uucp> Organization: Robobar Ltd., Perivale, Middx., ENGLAND. Lines: 25 bill@bilver.uucp (Bill Vermillion) writes: > As to floppy errors, use good quality floppies, and backup often. > You could also re-read the floppies to make sure they were okay. But don't re-read them using tar tv2 because that *seeks* and thus does not re-read all the data. Do tar tvf - < /dev/install (or whatever) instead. And yes, *definitely* re-read the floppies on a completely different machine. I know someone who ended up with a whole binbag full of worthless floppies because his controller card went phut for *months* but was still able to read floppies that it had written itself. Then one day it totally went, and nothing else in the world could read those floppies. So be warned. Tape drives have a similar, but worse problem. It can be hard to tell that your drive is misaligned till it dies, and you can't read your backups on the replacement drive. Moral of the story: You always need at least two removeable media devices. Ever wondered what use that old 286 box was ? Now you know -- use it to verify your floppy backups ! -- Ronald Khoo +44 81 991 1142 (O) +44 71 229 7741 (H)