diff --git a/Tools/PyUtils/bin/checkxAOD.py b/Tools/PyUtils/bin/checkxAOD.py
index 49f3bd20afe49c551382628d32afda150714c3e1..a187120410943ed878019f31da3b7943a4cd430c 100755
--- a/Tools/PyUtils/bin/checkxAOD.py
+++ b/Tools/PyUtils/bin/checkxAOD.py
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@
 
 # Copyright (C) 2002-2017 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
 #
-# $Id: checkxAOD.py 776363 2016-10-04 10:02:03Z wlampl $
+# $Id: checkxAOD.py 776263 2016-10-03 14:46:39Z wlampl $
 #
 # This is a modified version of PyUtils/bin/checkFile.py. It has been taught
 # how to sum up the sizes of all the branches belonging to a single xAOD
 # object/container.
 #
 
-__version__ = "$Revision: 776363 $"
+__version__ = "$Revision: 776263 $"
 __author__  = "Sebastien Binet <binet@cern.ch>, " \
     "Attila Krasznahorkay <Attila.Krasznahorkay@cern.ch>, " \
     "RD Schaffer R.D.Schaffer@cern.ch"
diff --git a/Tools/PyUtils/python/AthFile/impl.py b/Tools/PyUtils/python/AthFile/impl.py
index d0f0f92903dec5385e74ec8779283a8e5f298473..115139ed00e51e350fb9e5f64ff0b5fbd8e4afa1 100644
--- a/Tools/PyUtils/python/AthFile/impl.py
+++ b/Tools/PyUtils/python/AthFile/impl.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import with_statement
 
-__version__ = "$Revision: 768237 $"
+__version__ = "$Revision: 723532 $"
 __author__  = "Sebastien Binet"
 __doc__ = "implementation of AthFile-server behind a set of proxies to isolate environments"
 
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ except:
     pass
 
 ### globals -------------------------------------------------------------------
-DEFAULT_AF_RUN = os.environ.get('DEFAULT_AF_RUN', True)
+DEFAULT_AF_RUN = os.environ.get('DEFAULT_AF_RUN', False)
 '''Revert to old file peeking via Athena sub-process if True.'''
 
 DEFAULT_AF_CACHE_FNAME = os.environ.get('DEFAULT_AF_CACHE_FNAME',
diff --git a/Tools/PyUtils/python/scripts/cmt_newanalysisalg.py b/Tools/PyUtils/python/scripts/cmt_newanalysisalg.py
index 125605e58b5c563738dda03028b6366346452835..42aa94528bb8bfeca4c3cee7b291dc2acbd389d4 100644
--- a/Tools/PyUtils/python/scripts/cmt_newanalysisalg.py
+++ b/Tools/PyUtils/python/scripts/cmt_newanalysisalg.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import with_statement
 
-__version__ = "$Revision: 734631 $"
+__version__ = "$Revision: 774188 $"
 __author__ = "Will Buttinger"
 __doc__ = "streamline and ease the creation of new AthAnalysisAlgorithm"
 
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ def main(args):
                   print "#use xAODEventInfo xAODEventInfo-* Event/xAOD"
                   print ""
                 if not hasAsgTools:
-                  print "use AsgTools AsgTools-* Control/AthToolSupport"
+                  print "#use AsgTools AsgTools-* Control/AthToolSupport"
                   print ""
                 if not inPrivate: print "end_private"
             if line.startswith("private"): inPrivate=True
diff --git a/Tools/PyUtils/python/scripts/cmt_newanalysisapp.py b/Tools/PyUtils/python/scripts/cmt_newanalysisapp.py
index f3d640bf89f804d9a293c8438cb9cc3ed53153fb..a1f1de2a4336d7c5c1952fc50584f40d4fe202b1 100644
--- a/Tools/PyUtils/python/scripts/cmt_newanalysisapp.py
+++ b/Tools/PyUtils/python/scripts/cmt_newanalysisapp.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import with_statement
 
-__version__ = "$Revision: 734631 $"
+__version__ = "$Revision: 774188 $"
 __author__ = "Will Buttinger"
 __doc__ = "streamline and ease the creation of new standalone applications"
 
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ using namespace asg::msgUserCode;  //messaging
 
 int main( int argc, char* argv[] ) {
 
-   IAppMgrUI* app = POOL::Init(); //important to do this first!
+   IAppMgrUI* app = Gaudi::Init(); //important to do this first, for MessageSvc to exist properly for MSG_INFO macro
 
    // Open the input file:
    TString fileName = "$ASG_TEST_FILE_MC";
@@ -55,11 +55,19 @@ int main( int argc, char* argv[] ) {
    //Here's an example of how you would create a tool of type ToolType, and set a property on it
    //The preferred way to create and configure the tool is with a ToolHandle:
    //ToolHandle<IToolInterface> myTool("ToolType/myTool");
-   //AthAnalysisHelper::setProperty( myTool, "MyProperty", value );
+   //AAH::setProperty( myTool, "MyProperty", value );
    //myTool.retrieve(); //this will cause the tool to be created and initialized
 
    //loop over input file with POOL 
-   POOL::TEvent evt;
+   POOL::TEvent evt(POOL::TEvent::kPOOLAccess); 
+
+   //read modes (constructor argument) are:
+   //kPOOLAccess = default (slowest but reads all POOL file types (including xAOD)), 
+   //kAthenaAccess, (just xAOD)
+   //kClassAccess, (just xAOD, but not some primary xAOD)
+   //kBranchAccess (just xAOD, fastest but might not always work)
+
+
    evt.readFrom( fileName );
 
    for(int i=0;i < evt.getEntries(); i++) {
@@ -72,7 +80,7 @@ int main( int argc, char* argv[] ) {
 
    }
 
-   app->finalize(); //trigger finalization of all services and tools created by the Gaudi Application
+   app->finalize(); //optional trigger finalization of all services and tools created by the Gaudi Application
    return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/Tools/PyUtils/python/scripts/cmt_newjobo.py b/Tools/PyUtils/python/scripts/cmt_newjobo.py
index 795a9fbfd672b0902e2fbf2cd685d1d11396cbaa..1c12e3eb6987f8f15db1f1b209d6d51e28a01c03 100644
--- a/Tools/PyUtils/python/scripts/cmt_newjobo.py
+++ b/Tools/PyUtils/python/scripts/cmt_newjobo.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import with_statement
 
-__version__ = "$Revision: 710998 $"
+__version__ = "$Revision: 774188 $"
 __author__ = "Will Buttinger"
 __doc__ = "streamline and ease the creation of new skeleton joboption for analysis"
 
@@ -24,14 +24,25 @@ class Templates:
     jobo_template = """\
 #Skeleton joboption for a simple analysis job
 
+#---- Minimal joboptions -------
+
 theApp.EvtMax=10                                         #says how many events to run over. Set to -1 for all events
+jps.AthenaCommonFlags.FilesInput = ["%(inFile)s"]   #insert your list of input files here (do this before next lines)
 
 import AthenaPoolCnvSvc.ReadAthenaPool                   #sets up reading of POOL files (e.g. xAODs)
-svcMgr.EventSelector.InputCollections=["%(inFile)s"]   #insert your list of input files here
+#import AthenaRootComps.ReadAthenaxAODHybrid             #alternative for FAST xAOD reading!
 
 algseq = CfgMgr.AthSequencer("AthAlgSeq")                #gets the main AthSequencer
 algseq += CfgMgr.%(klass)s()                                 #adds an instance of your alg to it
 
+#-------------------------------
+
+
+#note that if you edit the input files after this point you need to pass the new files to the EventSelector:
+#like this: svcMgr.EventSelector.InputCollections = ["new","list"] 
+
+
+
 
 
 ##--------------------------------------------------------------------