Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

[Terry Stewart]

>If these are from a VAX, could they be microcode disks for a 11/780?
There was a RX01 attached via a LSI-11 as console.
>Or they could just be disks used for data exchange.  They would be in
another DEC OS file format, rather than ODS2.

Thanks Jerry,

No one actually knows.  Attached to the front of the disks cover (on
printout paper) is a listing of the directory showing files. Some commands
to get that directory are also shown.

I also tried to examine this disks in pure MSDOS using PUTR V2.01, a DEC
File Transfer Program by John Wilson.  It interrogated the drive for a
recognisable DEC OS, but couldn't find one.

Interestingly, I was able to format/initialise a blank 8 inch disk in the
DEC format I tried (I think it was OS/8) using this program, then mount it
successfully.  This is why I think at least the hardware is working ok.

Cheers

Terry


On Fri, May 5, 2017 at 11:02 AM, Jerry Weiss <jsw at ieee.org> wrote:

> If these are from a VAX, could they be microcode disks for a 11/780?
> There was a RX01 attached via a LSI-11 as console.
>
> Or they could just be disks used for data exchange.  They would be in
> another DEC OS file format, rather than ODS2.
>
> Jerry Weiss
> jsw at ieee.org
>
>
> > On May 4, 2017, at 4:41 PM, Terry Stewart via cctalk <
> cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> >
> > Hi guys,
> >
> > Just tying up some unfinished business.  Right at the beginning of this
> > thread I said...
> >
> >> Guys in the building next door to me (a Science lab) have found some 8
> > inch floppy disks.
> >> They want to see what’s on them, or at least to archive them.
> >> They have no idea what machine these disks were used with, or the
> software
> > was used to write the files.
> >> They may be CP/M, or some other format entirely.
> >
> > Now that I've got the 8 inch disk drive up and running and have some
> > experience with it, I thought I've give these disks a go.
> >
> > It turns out these disks are from a VAX machine. Assuming the OS is VMS,
> I
> > scoured the Internet for something that might read them.
> >
> > …...
> > Any comments most welcome.
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Terry
>
>
>
>
>
>