This procedure is partly done from the Command Line and requires command line skills in Windows. It will also work on *.LIST files from another OS (such as Linux) if you can copy the files to a Windows workstation to do the editing. This assumes you have the Windows version of the L-Soft provided LISTVIEW.EXE utility. If not, it is included with the LIST-TEXT.zip below. download TexRep from here: http://no-nonsense-software.com/cgi-bin/redirect/cgirdir.exe?texrep download LIST-TEXT.zip from here: http://training.lsoft.com/dl/LIST-TEXT.zip Unzip the file TexRep20.zip file (to setup.exe) and run setup.exe to install TexRep. This is a bulk text file replacement utility, intended for making changes to many text files at once. Unzip the LIST-TEXT.zip file to LIST-TEXT.CMD. Copy the LIST-TEXT.CMD file to drive root (e.g. D:\) or to ~\LISTSERV. (If necessary, copy LISTVIEW.EXE to ~\LISTSERV\MAIN and any *.LIST files imported from another OS also go into ~~\LISTSERV\MAIN.) Make sure LISTSERV is Stopped. Use Windows Services applet or command line: NET STOP LISTSERV NET STOP LISTSERV-SMTP Assume standard Windows directory tree structure for LISTSERV: ~\LISTSERV -\LISTS \listname1 \listname2 \... -\LOG -\TMP -\SPOOL -\OUT -\MAIN -\WWW \ARCHIVES \listname1 \listname2 \... \SCRIPTS Run 'LIST-TEXT.CMD' from the command line. This will create x:\LISTSERV \Oldlist \Newlist (added to the above directory tree) and leave you at the command line in the ~\Newlist dir. In the ~\listserv\oldlist dir will be copies of all *.LIST files in binary form. This is your safety copy, so you can restore in case anything goes wrong. In the ~\listserv\newlist dir will be copies of all *.LIST files converted to editable plain text form. !!! NEVER, EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ATTEMPT TO EDIT LISTSERV *.LIST FILES IN BINARY FORM. YOU WILL DESTROY THEM IRREVOCABLY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!! Start TexRep. On the left side window, browse to find your ~\newlist dir and select all *.LIST files. Uncheck the 'case sensitive' box. Uncheck the 'whole words only' box. Leave 'make backup (*.BAK)' box checked. Note: TexRep does NOT support wildcards or reg-exp. You must have exact values in 'text to find' and 'Replace with'. ---------------------- To change file path of directories: In the 'text to find' box enter: 'C:\LISTSERV\LISTS\' (or whatever is in the files you want to edit) In the 'Replace with' box enter: 'E:\LISTSERV\LISTS\' (or whatever is appropriate for your new machine/location) Click on 'Start'. replacements will show in large open box on right, with total # of changes. ---------------- If you are changing an existing setting: In the 'text to find' box enter the current setting: 'Change-Log= Yes' In the 'Replace with' box enter the change: 'Change-Log= Yes, Yearly' Note you must enter the old text as well, not just the change. Click on 'Start'. replacements will show in large open box on right, with total # of changes. ---------------- To add a new setting (i.e. nothing existing to change) In the 'text to find' box enter a short existing setting possibly related to the setting you want to add: 'Confidential= No' In the 'Replace with' box enter the same setting along with the new one you want to add with 2-3 spaces: 'Confidential= No Validate= No' TexRep will not add new lines, so you must modify an existing line. LISTSERV will correctly read the setting and obey it, so it is not a functional problem, only a cosmetic one. Click on 'Start'. replacements will show in large open box on right, with total # of changes. ---------------- When you are done with all changes, use Windows Explorer to copy all *.LIST files from ~\NEWLIST to ~\MAIN. Click 'yes' to overwrite existing *.LIST files, if asked. Restart LISTSERV Check LISTSERV-yyyymmdd.LOG file. When LISTSERV is started, there will be a mild protest in the log file: >15 Nov 2007 21:35:54 Invalid record format for list TEST. >15 Nov 2007 21:35:54 -> List reformatted successfully. and LISTSERV will reformat all the plain-text *.LIST files back into the proper binary format. If all starts up successfully, at this point you are done.