CREATE DATABASE cannot create a control file

Question

I know, it's not supported. Please refrain from reminding me.
I am trying to install a second database on an Oracle 8i installation (8.1.7.4) on a Windows 2003 server. I cannot use DBCA because it doesn't work, so I create the databases manually using the script produced by DBCA.
So I run the following:
connect INTERNAL@TEST
startup nomount pfile="C:\oracle\admin\COHPTEST\pfile\initTEST.ora"
CREATE DATABASE TEST
LOGFILE 'D:\oracle\oradata\TEST\redo01.log' SIZE 1024K,
'D:\oracle\oradata\TEST\redo02.log' SIZE 1024K,
'D:\oracle\oradata\TEST\redo03.log' SIZE 1024K
MAXLOGFILES 32
MAXLOGMEMBERS 2
MAXLOGHISTORY 1
DATAFILE 'D:\oracle\oradata\TEST\system01.dbf' SIZE 264M REUSE AUTOEXTEND ON NEXT 10240K
MAXDATAFILES 254
MAXINSTANCES 1
CHARACTER SET WE8ISO8859P1
NATIONAL CHARACTER SET WE8ISO8859P1;
I receive the following error:
ORA-01501: CREATE DATABASE failed
ORA-00200: controlfile could not be created
ORA-00202: controlfile: 'D:\oracle\oradata\TEST\ctrl01.ctl'
ORA-27040: skgfrcre: create error, unable to create file
OSD-04002: unable to open file
O/S-Error: (OS 3) The system cannot find the path specified.
More information:
1) Added the "Everyone" account to full control on the D: drive, to eliminate the possibility of access issues.
2) The control files, the alertLog, and just about every other file do not exist before, or after the error.
3) I cannot produce more detailed information other than what you see. I do not know of a trace that will track this, which would be helpful.
4) I've tried from both SQLPLUS and SVRMGRL, as well as using INTERNAL, SYS accounts as well as adding sysdba privileges.
I would love to upgrade this instance, but it has other databases on it, and only one box to run this DB on.
SO, just to be sure, telling me to upgrade isn't what I am hoping to learn. I would appreciate some insight on how to display the account svrmgrl runs under, or how to get it to run under another user ID that would be great, or why it can't create the file, or a manual way to create the file (CREATE CONTROLFILE is for existing db's only right? )

Answer 1

Hello, my name is stupid.
I was using a remote file in my TNS_ADMIN environment value. It was pointing to the old database the whole time. The old database was up and down all day, but no one was on it to notice.
Answer: Please check your TNS_ADMIN file, to make sure that you do not have any naming conflicts with the database you are creating, and another database with the same name in your collection of databases.
What happened:
The reason it could not create the files: There was another TEST database, which was what was connected to, and I tried to create the files on another server which did not have a D: Drive.
When I switched to C: it stated the files were already in existence, which I knew wasn't true, and what led me to look at what I was connecting to.
When I checked my TNSNames.Ora file, I noticed the 2nd entry for a database also named "TEST" that a previous DBA had left in there, I realized I was working on the wrong database because it connected to the first database in the TNSNames listed for that SID.
I removed the entry from the TNSNames file, and the database was created successfully (Manually, DBCA still doesn't work).
Thanks for all that tried to help, but introspection was the only solution.