Question about reading TK50 tape

[ukyo888]

I have a TK50 tape(compactape) and I want to read the files in it. But I do not have VAX machine. What I can get is a TK78 drive(DLT2000).

Is it possible to connect DLT2000 drive to windows PC using SCSI PCI adapter and read the TK50 tape in windows OS?

And any suggestion if not?

Many thanks,

Yu

[Bob Blunt]

In a few words:  it probably won't work.

The long version:  The drive, itself, SHOULD work when attached to a PC using a PC O/S to write and read data using PC drivers and PC archive software.  Your results reading a real TK50 cartridge with a DLT2000 are not predictable, though.  If you had a VMS system with a compatable SCSI adapter capable of connecting to the DLT2000 MIGHT be able to read a TK50 cartridge but you couldn't be sure without testing in the right environment.  Moving the whole process to a PC and expecting it to work in that environment is unlikely.  This, somewhat, does depend on the type data on the TK50.  IF the data is simple ASCII data you might not need special software to read it.  BUT IF the data is stored on the tape in BACKUP savesets I don't know of any solutions to read those on a PC.

Your best bet to read any tape written using a VMS-based system and software is to recover it using the same environment.  Only SOME DLT tape drives are capable of reading TK50s and the only way to find out is to try using the same environment in which it was written before trying with a PC solution.

bob

[Volker Halle]

Yu,

according to this DLT FAQ, reading a TK50 does not seem to be supported on a DLT2000/TK87:

http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~rdv/comp-arch-storage/dlt-faq.html

Try to find someone in your area, who has an OpenVMS system with a tape drive being able to read TK50 cartridges. There is a software around, which allows reading of OpenVMS backup tapes from Windows, if you can connect a compatible tape drive to your Windows System. That software is called OpenVMS TapeReader for Windows.

Volker.

[B Claremont]

Last time I checked we still had a working TK50 drive.  If you care to send me the tape, I'll see if it is readable.

[Richard Brodie_1]

As I recall, a genuine TK87 had an extra read head for backward compatibility. This was absent on the TK87N, and proabably anything sold as a DLT2000.

[abrsvc]

A TK87 can read a TK50 but can not write one.  I also have TK50, TK70 and TK87 drives available should the initial poster need to have a tape read.  VAX and Alpha machines also available with various OpenVMS versions too.

Dan

[VGV]

Hi Dan.

I have software on TK-50 Tape for my Dec Station but do not have TK-50 Tape Drive. I have found your note in this forum saying that you can help with reading this tape. Can you help me with reading/copying this tape on CD? If so, how much it will cost?

Thank you,

Valery

[abrsvc]

Whether or not I can read the tape will depend upon how it was written. The DEC station was/is running what OS? IRRC, these machiens only rn Ultrix. If that is true, than I can't help. I have VAX, Alpha and Itanium machines from which I can reach a TK50 drive all runing various versions of VMS. Ultrix, I don't have.

Dan

[VGV]

It was written for OSF/1 (more specifically for DigitalUnix 4).

V.V.

[abadolato]

Dear sir,

I have to recover a PhD thesis simulator software recorded in a TK50 tape. 

Would yo be able to read the tape?

I will really appreciate. I have a little amount of money to charge to my research project.

Best Regards,

Alejandro Badolato.