# Database Discussions > Oracle >  Restore Oracle 9i DBF files into Windows XP server

## lweegp

Dear database gurus out there,

Not sure if this thread has been discussed before but I dont seem to be able to locate any when i do a search.    :Confused:  

Can any gurus kindly tell me the followings:

1) I have just installed Oracle 9i ver 9.2.0 into a Window XP Server. Everything went smoothly so this is not an issue.

2) I have to restore the DBF files, how am i going to restore the data to the database? Can anyone show me the process?

3) Actually these DBF files were copied from another XP server. I have stop the Oracle services and zip up the file and move it to the new XP server. So I was thinking how do i create the control files? 

I'm kinda stuck here so would really appreciate some form of help here. Many Thanks.

wee   :Smilie:

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## stecal

Your situation is similar to media recovery using a cold backup. It's like losing a disk and thenhaving to replace the files on it by using a backup. That's the good news, you have the potential.

No control files from the previous incarnation? Are you sure about that? And what about the init.ora file? See if you have those files (one control file is sufficient, plus either the spfile or init.ora file).

Read this too, and then we'll go from there:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/dep...R_Overview.htm

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## lweegp

hi stecal,

many thanks for the information.

yes i do have 3 copies of the control files. I have a copy of init.ora file too.

so how do i go about loading the data into the system n make the database able to read the data? 

many thanks again.

wee

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## stecal

It is just like media recovery. Put your datafiles on the new server, mount the database, update the file locations, then open the database. As soon as it opens normally, shut it down and take a cold backup.

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## lweegp

hi stecal,

i have installed the oracle 9.2.0 and it has created control files and system01.dbf file etc. so do i have to:
1) offline the database;
2) unmount the database;
3) update the new datafiles location and lastly;
4) mount the database?

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## stecal

You're mixing apples and oranges. The seed database has nothing to do with your old database other than the fact they're both going to share the same RDBMS software.

Overlay the old files onto the file system. Update the old init.ora with the locations of the old control files. Startup mount, then update the data dictionary with the locations of the old datafiles.

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## lweegp

hi can show me the steps? im abit confused here now...

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## stecal

Let's take a step back. You have a seed database installed, right? It has datafiles. More than likely they're under something like oradata\ORCL ("orcl" being the name of the seed database, and orcl is what Oracle names it be default). Can you find those dbf files? If so, what are the steps to move just one of them (tools, users, whatever) to a different location? Specifically, what are the steps to move a datafile somewhere else?

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