Only place in the SPM8 code I see for that warning is this bit from spm_getSPM.m: ====begin code snippet==== %-Check the model has been estimated %-------------------------------------------------------------------------- try SPM.xVol.XYZ; catch %-Check the model has been estimated %---------------------------------------------------------------------- str = { 'This model has not been estimated.';... 'Would you like to estimate it now?'}; if spm_input(str,1,'bd','yes|no',[1,0],1) SPM = spm_spm(SPM); else SPM = []; xSPM = []; return end end ====end code snippet==== So...if you start matlab and type load SPM and then type SPM.xVol what do you see? (Sounds like a corrupted or otherwise incorrect SPM.mat file.)