Try this Startup Show parameter spfile Create pfile='file name' from spfile='file name' Shutdown immediate Edit your pfile Startup pfile='file name' Show parameter audit Create spfile='file name from show pram' from pfile='file name that you used for startup' Shutdown immediate Startup Show parameter audit That should do it ________________________________ From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Chirag DBA Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2005 10:19 AM To: Marquez, Chris Cc: Oracle-L Freelists Subject: Re: Unable to create SPFILE. I have started with pfile, by changing audit_trail=DB. startup pfile='file name'. show parameter audit. audit_trail=DB create spfile='location' from pfile; File created..!! but when see the spfile, *.audit_trail='OS'; I was thinking that while you do the create spfile, it is creating a binary copy of pfile matching exactly with pfile. but this is something unexpected I am getting. regards - chirag On 10/12/05, Marquez, Chris <cmarquez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: Sorry meant to say; SQL> startup pfile ='/[your changed pfile]'; SQL> show parameter audit SQL> create spfile='.....' from pfile='....'; SQL> shutdown; SQL> startup spfile ='/[your new spfile]'; SQL> show parameter audit If this is a bug or feature this will show it. Chris Marquez Oracle DBA -----Original Message----- From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of Marquez, Chris Sent: Wed 10/12/2005 10:06 AM To: chiragdba@xxxxxxxxx ; Oracle-L Freelists Subject: RE: Unable to create SPFILE. You sure you are using the right (default) pfile on startup? do this; SQL> startup; [as you normaly would] SQL> show parameter audit ??? Something got to be a miss on your end...or this would be a scary (documented) bug? Chris Marquez Oracle DBA -----Original Message----- From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of Chirag DBA Sent: Wed 10/12/2005 9:45 AM To: Oracle-L Freelists Subject: Unable to create SPFILE. I have started my Database with pfile and now want to create spfile. I am using create spfile='location' from pfile; When I see the audit parameters in pfile, it is AUDIT_TRAIL=DB, but in SPFILE it is showing as AUDIT_TRAIL=OS, set previously but changed now. same with few other parameters. I changed my init file, bounce DB with pfile and now creating spfile. This is 9i with Solaris. regards - chirag