[rescue] Reading QIC tapes

[Alan Perry]

> On Mar 27, 2026, at 12:43, Doug McIntyre via rescue <rescue at sunhelp.org> wrote:
> 
> On Fri, Mar 27, 2026 at 11:08:10AM -0700, Alan Perry via rescue wrote:
>> Reading always returns 0 records read. After rewinding, skipping reports the tape is at the end. Writing, after detecting the write protect was enabled and changing that, returns I/O error. Tried four different tapes with labels indicating something on them and got the same results.
> 
> 
> Are you sure the tensioning band inside the tape cartridge hasn't
> broken? You'll get 0 records read if the tape isn't moving.
> This is a very common issue for the older QIC tapes.

Yes, I know the bands are good. I bought out the inventory of a place selling the green plastibands and also bought a bunch of the clear replacement bands as well. 

All of the 3M tapes I am using now have new bands but a Sony one is working fine on the original one.

I was able to retension all of the tapes that I could not read or write.

I have the top of the 411 case off so I can inspect what the drive is doing during an operation. With reads, the tape goes back and forth a few times before no records read are reported. With writes, there is either no or one movement of the tape.

alan