If I set the LOCAL environment variable to the tns alias, then I connect fine. Isn't that the same as using the "connect user@tnsentry" syntax? I can connect fine when going through sqlnet, but just using ORACLE_SID to make the connection does not work. There is nothing unusual in the alert log. The listener log only shows when connections are made through sqlnet. Nothing shows there when the direct connections fail. We are planning on bouncing the database, but we are concerned that we will not be able to bring it back up (or even shut it down cleanly) since we can't connect as we usually do to perform those tasks. ________________________________ From: M Rafiq [mailto:rafiq9857@xxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 10:37 AM To: Reimer, John J.; oracle list Subject: RE: Oracle on Windows question Please try to set all three parameters and try again. set ORACLE_SID= set LOCAL= (check alis in tnsnames.ora file) set ORACLE_HOME= It appears to be permission issue as well while try to writing to listener.log file. Is the same user id starting other databases as well? Regards Rafiq ________________________________ Subject: Oracle on Windows question Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:42:05 -0500 From: JJReimer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To: oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx We have a problem connecting to a database that we have not seen before, and I am wondering if any else has encountered it. OS: Windows2003 32-bit Database Version: 9.2.0.8 Only one Oracle Home on the box There are six databases running on this server. We can connect to five of them just fine. When setting ORACLE_SID to the problem SID, and trying "Connect sys as sysdba" we get "ORA-12546: TNS:permission denied" When we do "Connect sys@sidname as sysdba" it connects fine. Why would one database have a problem when the others all work? ________________________________ Windows Live(tm): Keep your life in sync. See how it works. <http://windowslive.com/howitworks?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t1_allup_howitworks _022009>