Backup set is over 7 days -- DB status is NOMOUNT -- RESTORE CONTROLFILE

Question

I'm trying to do a restore of a control file using RMAN.
After doing a STARTUP NOMOUNT of the database, I try:
SET DBID = [whatever]
RESTORE CONTROLFILE FROM AUTOBACKUP;
The error I get is:
channel ORA_DISK_1: no AUTOBACKUP in 7 days found
And that's true. The backup set I'm trying to restore from is over 7 days old.
I tried
RESTORE CONTROLFILE FROM AUTOBACKUP UNTIL TIME "TO_DATE('12/17/08 18:00:00', 'MM/DD/YY HH24:MI:SS')"
and I get the same error.
All the examples I've seen using UNTIL TIME seem to assume that the database status is MOUNT not NOMOUNT, which is needed if you don't have a control file in the first place.
How do I get around this problem?
=== Al

Answer 1

Al,
Set your env variable oracle_sid = whatever_sid
then from command line
  c:> rman target /
   or
   $> rman target /
  And use one of the following to list your backups
RMAN> LIST BACKUP;
RMAN> LIST BACKUP OF DATABASE;
RMAN> LIST BACKUP SUMMARY;
RMAN> LIST INCARNATION;
RMAN> LIST BACKUP BY FILE;
RMAN> LIST COPY OF DATABASE ARCHIVELOG ALL;
RMAN> LIST COPY OF DATAFILE 1, 2, 3;
RMAN> LIST BACKUP OF DATAFILE 11 SUMMARY;
RMAN> LIST BACKUP OF ARCHIVELOG FROM SEQUENCE 1437;
RMAN> LIST CONTROLFILECOPY "/tmp/cntrlfile.copy";
RMAN> LIST BACKUPSET OF DATAFILE 1;Regards