Dat Tape Question

[sacredridge]

I have quite a few DAT tapes that I am trying to access. I got one of my old Apple G-4 (kept them all) attached cables and DAT driver (APS). Fired up and have Green light "on" the APS drive but I can't see any indication on the screen to access the tapes.

It has been a long time and may have forgotten a step. Hoping someone can give me a tip.

 

[kucharsk]

I have quite a few DAT tapes that I am trying to access. I got one of my old Apple G-4 (kept them all) attached cables and DAT driver (APS). Fired up and have Green light "on" the APS drive but I can't see any indication on the screen to access the tapes.

Mac OS and/or OS X usually didn't access the tapes directly but rather through a third party program like Retrospect unless you did something like use the UNIX utility "tar" to write directly to the raw tape device.

If not, check to see if you still have a copy of Retrospect or whatever utility you used to write the tapes on your G4 Mac, as it would be able to read them.

Retrospect (http://www.retrospect.com/en/products/mac/desktop) still exists as a product, but since most DAT drives were SCSI, that wouldn't help you interface to a newer Mac.

 

[sacredridge]

Mac OS and/or OS X usually didn't access the tapes directly but rather through a third party program like Retrospect unless you did something like use the UNIX utility "tar" to write directly to the raw tape device.

If not, check to see if you still have a copy of Retrospect or whatever utility you used to write the tapes on your G4 Mac, as it would be able to read them.

Retrospect (http://www.retrospect.com/en/products/mac/desktop) still exists as a product, but since most DAT drives were SCSI, that wouldn't help you interface to a newer Mac.

Thanks! I could not find an old copy of retrospect and went on a different path which is trying to purchase a new player with a USB plug but haven't found one yet. Both of the ones I purchased, would not read the HS-4/90 tapes.