How to get past end of cpio archive on tape

[Ned Kittlitz]

In article <1990Dec12.050414.15575 at bjm.wimsey.bc.ca> news at bjm.wimsey.bc.ca (News Login) writes:
>Hi NET,
>	
>	I have this backup which I accidentally wrote a cpio archive over.
>However, the cpio archive is only 20 megabytes and therefore 1/3 of the tape.

You don't say so explicitly, but by the process of multiplication, 
I am going to assume that you are talking about a 60MB 1/4 inch cartridge
tape. If so, several ravens which I have at hand quoth "nevermore".

>From the Archive Viper description of write: "QIC data can only
be written over erased tape; therefor, when the Viper drive
writes to track zero, the erase head is turned on to condition the
entire tape".

>From the Wangtek OEM manual for 5099ES/5125ES/5150ES streaming 1/4 inch
tape cartridge drive: "Tape is erased automatically while writing
track zero."

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E. N. Kittlitz - consulting at Bull, and nothing more.
kittlitz at world.std.com or kittlitz at granite.cr.bull.com