Migrating DB Unix->Windows NT

Hello

I have a working DB (Oracle 8.1.7, Solaris 7) and am trying to use the init.ora file, the edited "alter database backup controlfile to trace"-file as a new db creation script, and the full dump to reinstall a new DB on Windows NT from scratch.

My problem is that I only have experience on the Unix side. Using NT I only can start an "Assistant" which uses its own parameter file. If I do the following under Windows (command line):

-snip-

oradim -new -sid mydb -pfile /here/it/is/initmydb.ora set ORACLE_SID=mydb
sqlplus /nolog
conn / as sysdba
"connected to an idle instance"
startup nomount pfile=/here/it/is/initmydb.ora [error]
-snip-

then whatever I try, I get an "Oracle not found/not running" message, or complains about "memory realm already exist" or "memory realm not found".

But I do can connect to the example DB created by the "Assistant" (which is worthless to me), so Oracle is running. I tried restarting the Services, renaming the init.ora file so it uses my init-file instead of that from the example DB, and other things, but no success.

So how can I setup a DB from scratch using existing init file (edited to reflect the new instance name and pathes), an existing CREATE DATABASE script, in order to import a dump into it? All of this using Windows?

Heck, I wouldn't have thought Windows' Oracle was so difficult to manage.

TIA
Rick   Received on Tue Feb 26 2002 - 17:05:20 CST