This needs to be followed by the COPY/BOOT DD1:RT11FB.SYS DD1: and then it should be bootable. As for initializing the output tape (DD1) first, yes... that is advisable: INIT/NOQ DD1: However, I'm concerned by the INPUT and OUTPUT errors. The OUTPUT error while doing the COPY/BOOT indicates that block 0 or 2-5 are bad on the output tape. These are the blocks which would receive the boot code. The INPUT error from DD0 indicates that they have a bad bootable tape... if it is the only copy they have, then they really have a problem. When the system is booting, it should be possible to interrupt the startup command file by simply ^Cing as soon as you see the RT11FB V04.00 bootup banner. Megan Gentry Former RT-11 Developer +--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+ | Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | email: gentry at zk3.dec.com (work) | | Unix Support Engineering Group | mbg at world.std.com (home) | | Hewlett Packard | (s/ at /@/) | | 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ | | Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler | | (603) 884 1055 (DEC '77-'98) | required." - mbg KB1FCA | +--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+