Hopefully you created the database with more than one control file.  If you
did, the recovery operation is easy.  First look at the initSID.ora file
where SID is your Oracle SID and there should be a line in the file with
control_files = (ctrl1, ctrl2, ctrl3) or something similar.  A full path is
generally given.  
First make sure that there are not any Oracle processes running.  Then use
an OS copy command to copy a control file that is good to the location where
you lost your control file.  Another option would be to remove the bad
control file from the initSID.ora file, and start the database without
recovery of your lost control file. I recommend making a copy of the control
file and starting the database so that if you lose a control file again, you
can have a backup copy ready to use.

Dan Sixbury
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Everett [mailto:ceverett AT virtual DOT com]
Sent: Friday, October 12, 2001 12:50 AM
To: veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
Subject: [Veritas-bu] Help, lost control file


I'm running a demo database with Oracle 8 and I've lost the control
file. When I connect internal and startup the database I get an ora
error 00205 error identifying control file. Looking in the database
directory where the dbf and redo files are the ctl files are gone. Is
there anyway to get the database to start up with out the control file.
Maybe a recovery feature I'm not aware of. Is a full recovery or rebuild
from scratch the only way to get this database back up and running
properly?

Thanks in advance,

Oracle Newbie,

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