That's strange. Any parameter you can change in pfile - you can change in spfile. Just not with every parameter you can do scope=both (meaning in memory and in spfile - immediate effect). So, for the the ones you can't - you do scope=spfile and restart the database. ________________________________ From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Thomas Day Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 3:58 PM To: davidsharples@xxxxxxxxx Cc: oracledbam@xxxxxxxxxxx; gorbyx@xxxxxxxxx; oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: How to edit spfile ?/ Usually the parameter that I want to change is something that can't be changed via ALTER SYSTEM. Very rarely do I get lucky and edit the spfile such that the checksum is still valid. The only way that I know of to always be able to alter the parameter in spfile is to create a pfile from the spfile, edit the pfile, restart the database from the pfile and create an spfile from the pfile. HUGE pain. Not a fan of spfile at all. Only use it when management insists.