Try using reset_buffer declare ret number; begin=20 dbms_pipe.purge('usernamePIPE_MASTER'); ret:=3Ddbms_pipe.remove_pipe(user||'pipe_master1'); DBMS_PIPE.RESET_BUFFER; end; ================= HTHU Ankur Shah Oracle DBA DHR/Public Heatlth,Georgia. I am trying to install a vendor application with an Oracle repository = and not making much progress. The install has failed and the cleanup = requires that the pipe be purged and removed or the database be bounced. = I've been through this four times since Friday afternoon. I can't find = any way to view whether or not a pipe exists. I know its not a = conventional database object and that its some sort of memory structure. = Is there a way to do this? Where do I look? This is what they gave me to remove the pipe. declare ret number;=20 begin=20 dbms_pipe.purge('usernamePIPE_MASTER');=20 ret:=3Ddbms_pipe.remove_pipe(user||'pipe_master1');=20 end;=20 -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l