/sys$common/syshlp/helplib.hlb COPY, Qualifiers, /CONTIGUOUS  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

       /CONTIGUOUS
       /NOCONTIGUOUS

    Specifies that the output file must occupy contiguous physical
    disk blocks. By default, the COPY command creates an output file
    in the same format as the corresponding input file. Also, by
    default, if not enough space exists for a contiguous allocation,
    the COPY command does not report an error. If you copy multiple
    input files of different formats, the output file may or may not
    be contiguous. You can use the /CONTIGUOUS qualifier to ensure
    that files are copied contiguously.

    The /CONTIGUOUS qualifier has no effect when you copy files to
    or from tapes because the size of the file on tape cannot be
    determined until after it is copied to the disk. If you copy a
    file from a tape and want the file to be contiguous, use the COPY
    command twice: once to copy the file from the tape, and a second
    time to create a contiguous file.