Hi, O.K. the good news is that I managed to boot VMS, read all 40 files from the Ultrix 4.1 boot tape without error (and with the right block size :-) and write those files back to a TK70 tape without major problems. I know that the tape is good and the drive is good. (At least good enough.) And still we won't boot. But that means that something is wrong with that Ultrix version 4.1. It doesn't work on the VAX 6400. Fortunately I am in the position of access to sources that would allow me to build an Ultrix 4.2 based loader. However, I'm even convinced that it isn't the loader's fault. The 4.2 sources of the loader show that it always prints an error before halting. And I never see an error. In fact the only way for the loader to exit without a message appears to be its non-returning call to the vmb.exe gizmo. And -- oh bummer -- I don't seem to have source code for that one. The interesting light pattern at the TBK70 board and the console fault light seems not to indicate a read error boot stage of getting to talk to the TBK70 and carrying on the next boot stage. Too bad I can't find out when and where this happens. Anyway, quite likely its in the vmb.exe gizmo which is a black box. So, I might need some boot tape of a newer version (one that properly supports the VAX 6400 series) or I have to find an alternative booting strategy. I guess the MOP booting of ultrix might becoming a more feasible option. So, here is a call upon all of you who know something about MOP booting Ultrix. Please give me any info you might have. I have mopd and am on FreeBSD as the boot host. ... ... ... Another alternative is to set up an "InfoServer" VAX station with a CD ROM and an Ultrix CD of a post 4.1 version. Is this something someone has available? May be in the area or something one could set up accessible through the Internet (a 36 kbps modem line, ahem...) Once I have Ultrix up on one machine I can help others to do the same. If not by writing a boot tape by ... ... here is another option how a good soul could help me get going: If you have an Ultrix 4.2 or higher running on an RA disk, I would appreciate a disk image. That I should be able to raw write to another RA90 (or RA82) using VMS and then boot from that disk. Just make sure there is a GENERIC kernel on the disk image. I still don't have a KFMSA, so RF disk images would not help me. Except, perhaps, if someone has Ultrix 4.2 or higher running and some spare disks to tinker with, I might be able to fiddle a generic disk image that could be installed on any disk. BTW: after having fixed my TU81 unit number problem, I still can't boot from TU81. Seems like the VAX 6400 with my EEPROM revision doesn't know how to boot from TU81. If someone (Geoff?) knows he can boot that way, may be I could use an EEPROM update. Would appreciate your EEPROM dump then. Thanks much, -Gunther -- Gunther Schadow, M.D., Ph.D. gschadow(a)regenstrief.org Medical Information Scientist Regenstrief Institute for Health Care Adjunct Assistant Professor Indiana University School of Medicine tel:1(317)630-7960 http://aurora.regenstrief.org