I'm trying to design a command file that, using the echo command, will write to a message file some user specified parameters. The same message file is being accessed by a batch job, using the input command. When the job is *not* running my echo command works just fine, but when the batch job is waiting (on an empty message file), the echo command fails as follows: FILE PG=PAGERMSG.UTIL.SYS,OLD;SHR;LOCK :PAGEME 585xxxx 222 02 status = 222 appcode = 002 jobcode = 04477 echo 002044770222 5850611 >*pg DEVICE UNAVAILABLE (FSERR 55) echo 002044770222 5850611 >*pg Couldn't open output redirection file, command failed. (CIERR 9425) The same file equation is being issued in batch and I have tried different 'file' and 'access' options. Any Ideas? Thanks Paul H. Christidis