Problems with extracting files using cpio

[Lynne Murach]

I am desperately trying to retrieve files from a streamer tape, but
I am having many difficulties.  The format of the tape is unknown.  
The command cpio -idcv < /dev/rmt/ctape0 causes one file to be
extracted from the tape.  When the "file" command is run on this
extracted file, the type returned is cpio archive.  I then run the 
command cpio -idcv < extracted_file, and a number of files are
extracted.  The problem is that before all of the files are extracted
I get the following error: 

cpio: ERROR Out of sync. bad magic number/header.

I am running on a MIPS M2000 under RISC/os 4.5.  Does anyone out there
know why this is happening and how I can fix it?  The tape comes from
over seas and if it all possible I would like to use the tape that I
have.


Please respond by e-mail because I don't always have time to read
news.

Thanks,

Lynne Murach
Bull Worldwide Information Systems
Billerica, Massachusetts

E-mail:  murach at mips2.cr.bull.com