At 10:52 PM 10/27/00 -0400, you wrote: I've been through it many times. :-) Hah! This is an understatement. I was really only successful/comfortable when I got one of the ConDist sets and used those docs. {edited for brevity] Another way to say this is to give the general algorithm. If you can boot the media you will probably come up in standalone backup. The magic then is to type: $ BACKUP/IMAGE/VERIFY [src]VMSxxx.B/save_set [dst] Since I'm precluded from using HTML to express this a bit more clearly, allow me to elucidate on the variable parts: [src] and [dst] are device specifiers. Before you booted your VAX you had to do a 'show device' to see what devices it knew about, the src device is the CD-ROM (usually DKAxxx or DKBxxx on a VaxStation/Microvax, but will usually be DUAx or DUBx if you are booting from a MSCP type SCSI controller) If you're using tape then the device will be something like MUA0 or MKA0 etc. The filename VMSxxx.B changes only based on the version of VMS, so VMS 7.2 is VMS072.B whereas VMS 5.5 is VMS055.B. You should use the switch /VERIFY so that you know the disk is good before booting it. You must use the switch /IMAGE because you are copying over the complete disk (no formatting, fdisking, or anything else usually needed) You must use the switch /SAVE_SET to tell backup that you're restoring from a saveset. Once this command finishes you can now halt and boot from the [dst] drive and the first part of VMS will come up. This was true for me until I figured out what fields went with what. Note that in the PAK shown below: The date and termination date are the same. (Actually this is probably a valid PAK :-) This threw me off for a while. Note that you can use the layered products on _all_ your VAXen with the same PAKs so you don't need to get them more than once (and if you ask for them again you will get the same ones you got the first time.) Typically what I do at this point (registering PAKs) is to register the VAX-VMS PAK and the UCX PAK. Note that TCP-IP is on the Montagar disk. Once you log in as system you can then install TCP/IP using: @SYS$UPDATE:VMSINSTALL TCPIP_VAX050 [src]:[TCPIP_VAX050.KIT] And then run TCPIP$CONFIG once TCPIP is loaded. Now with that running and FTP enabled, you can ftp over the rest of the layered software PAKS (they are sent as a DCL script) and type: $ @LAYERED.COM (use whatever name you put it in as) And it will install licenses for everything. [important note: make sure you delete the UCX license out of the full set since if you don't you will get a "duplicate" and the script will stop.] After registering a PAK manually you should type: $ LICEN LOAD VAX-VMS to insure it is loaded. Anyway, I've done this about a dozen times now so its getting to be fairly familiar :-) --Chuck