I don't use the utl_file package. I use a java procedure I found on http://www.oracle-base.com/articles/8i/ShellCommandsFromPLSQL.php. I'm running Windows Server 2003 and this procedure works for me, though since 10g there was an extra step I needed to take at the OS level. The oracle software owner needs to have permission on the directory as well. I wrote to guy about it and the details are on one of the pages there. -- -- Bill Ferguson -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l