[Simh] VMS 4.6 won't boot from a Massbus disk

[Alan Frisbie]

> What would be most useful would be a VMS 4.X source set, but up  
> until now, no one in the community has found one.  So here are some  
> questions and ideas for debugging this problem.

I have a VMS v4.0 source kit (9-track, 1600 bpi), but tape #3 (of
4) was damaged years ago.   It stuck to the head or capstan and
stretched a foot or so of tape.   I have heard good things about
Backup's error recovery, so perhaps if it were spliced, Backup
could recover the remainder.   What do you think?

I also have a copy (tape made from a disk) of a VMS v4.4
source kit.

None of these tapes have been on a drive in 20 years, so I
don't know if they are still readable.   I do have a 9-track
drive (TSZ07) on my Alpha, so I can at least give it a try.

>From what I have heard about tapes from that era, the binder
is a problem and tapes should be "baked" before attempting
to read them.   I've never done this, so I would appreciate
expert advice before proceeding.

Alan "Packrat" Frisbie