3 Oct
2009
3 Oct
'09
2:44 p.m.
For me, the devices are all failing much earlier than the media. Thanks
to some help, my 1/2" media is still readable from 1972 thru 1990.
Drives all have developed major servo problems, and sensor problems.
I'm not very good at fixing such, so have moved all of the data off that
media.
Amazingly I had a pile of 8mm tapes and around 1999 or 2000 I decided to
read them, and figured I'd have moderate to low success. The only tape
out of about 30 that didn't read was one I had marked "partial tape
error at end" and saved when I was doing a data recovery, and partial
saves might have proven useful.
The 8mm sample is only with 5 to 10gb tapes maximum, no experience with
higher ones for archival.
Agree comment on floppy tape, never bought it, as I always was able to
maintain access to 1/2" till I quit using tape and went to online
conservation and cd / dvd maintainence of data.
Jim
Chuck Guzis wrote:
On 3 Oct 2009 at 19:39, Nico de Jong wrote:
Just the principle of writing a tape through the
floppy interface,
disgusts me. Formatting a tape takes a very long time; ISTR about an
hour. Must have been invented by the devil.
I suppose where we diverge is on the long-term stability of QIC.
I've seen my share of very old QIC (>20 years) and can't say that I'd
put it as high as you do. 1/2" tape is okay, as long as it isn't one
of those awful brands that shed like crazy.
Aside from 1/2" tape, the oldest reliable storage medium I have is 8"
floppy--and various paper products.
Wasn't floppy tape invented by Cipher? The 525 is about the oldest
floppy tape drive that I know of (still have one sealed in its
original packaging).
So Cipher = Devil? :)
--Chuck