hey gawdib...... try placing another '[color=red:40a564039b]\\'[/color] in the path....... security("C:[color=red:40a564039b]\\[/color]Metastock Data\\US Stocks\\R - S\\SPY",c) .....h

Hi Geo I don't recall blaming this problem on MetaStock, and I wouldn't without conclusive evidence anyway. I don't think I had sufficient information on which to reach a conclusion if my memory serves me correctly, and I still don't as it happens. In my experience nearly all weird problems have a logical cause and explanation. The hardest part of solving such problems is getting ALL the relevant information from the person experiencing the problem. Those of us that try to offer help are not mind readers and we usually need more facts than are given in the first instance. Not surprisingly it's the facts that aren't initially communicated that eventually provide the key to a solution. If you can provide more background information than you have so far then I'm still willing to try and assist, as I'm sure others are. Roy MetaStock Tips & Tools

Well can I suggest that you create a test folder such as C:\ EMP .... and try it from there ... This way we would know for sure that your data folder is not the source of the problem ( Path name, corrupted files, or whatever can happen to a folder :) ) Patrick :mrgreen:

thanks for all your responses. i tried some things suggested... see below This time I used that same "spy" indicator as i mentioned above. I opened it up onto a daily chart loaded up back to 1/1/2000 of the spy taken from the same folders that the Security function of the spy in my spy indicator. It matched up completely. And daily values for both the chart of the spy and the spy indicator were identical. Then I tried placing the same spy indicotor on the chart of the advance decline market file X.NASD-A, DAILY VALUES, loded up from 1/1/2000. tHE spy indicator, like in the above post, returned only a value of the spy every 3 months or so...as if "quarterly " values. Then i tired placing into this X.NASD-A daily chart, the indicator made with the security function of the x.nyse-a, pointing to the same folder as the chart was from, the values of both showed daily values. Then I put the X.Nyse-A indicator into the spy chart. it showed daily values and the same values as this x.nasd indicator showed in the x.nasd chart. Then i went back to the daily x.nasd-a chart to check and something. Lo and behold, the xnyse indicator do longer showed daily values, but quarterly values!!!!!! I had never touched the x axis function that allows one to switch back and forth between daily and quarterly values of data on the chart!, then i put the x.nyse-a indicator into a third chart, and it brought up daily values, and the same values as in the second chart. Then i deleted the x.nyse indicator from the x.nasd chart and brought it back again. It again would only show quarterly values on the daily chart! then I closed that chart. Then i brought up a chart on the x.nasd-d, a different file in the same folder as the above x.nasd-a, Then I placed the x.nyse-a indicator in the d-d chart and the indicator showed daily values, the same values as it did the first time i dropped in onto the x.nasd-a chart. then I dropped the spy indicator onto this x.nasd-d hart. this time the spy showed daily values and not quarterly values! then I brought up again the chart of x.nasd-a again. I dropped the x.nyse-a indicaotr on it. This time it showed daily values, and not the quarterly values. I dropped the spy on it again. this time the spy indicator showed daily values!!!!!!!! Remember the first time I did this, it showed quarterly values. Of course, this makes one worry that nothing in metastock is reliable or stable. Thanks, Geo

hey geo.... thats interesting.... trying to go through you post one sentence at a time.....couple questions if ya have the time.. Then I tried placing the same spy indicotor on the chart of the advance decline market file X.NASD-A, DAILY VALUES, loded up from 1/1/2000. tHE spy indicator, like in the above post, returned only a value of the spy every 3 months or so...as if "quarterly " values. mine is not reacting in that manner.... your spy indicator is presumably in a line form.... 1. your x.nasd-a, what form is it in, such as candlestick, line bars and so on.... 2. by placing the same spy indicotor on the chart are you overlaying the indicator directly on to the x.nasd-a or are you puting in its own window..... 3. if your overlaying , are you overlaying without scale or merging with right or new scale left..... however now the erratic part was the close in the chart was always different than the close shown by the indicator, by huge values....like 500+!!!! 4... how are you determining the value... are placing the mouse pointer at the spy indicator close and reading the data box or are by chance using the 'data window' function......h