oops, I did not make something clear I think.

All of this dropping/testing/etc is being done a test server. My production machine is alive and well, chugging right along.

I did not drop the system tablespace, only the system user. If I type tablespace earlier....my bad.

Jurij, I am not taking it as anything other than helpful input. I can take criticism, good always, bad most of the time. The one from you just happen to catch me at a REALLY bad point in my day. Don't sweat it, water under the bridge. Think we have our repoire established here so I want you to give it to me with both barrels!!

After dropping the SYSTEM user, I executed an import of the DIRECT export. TONS of errors, failed miserably.

So, to provide a test for me, my plan is to do the following on my TEST server:
1) take the cold backup of my production system done 3 days ago and restore the dbfs, control files, redo logs, etc. Everything. Treat it as if I just installed oracle
2) issue a log switch on my PRODUCTION machine.
3) backup my PRODUCTION control file to trace.
4) edit this trace to show the new locations of my dbfs, control files, etc, since they are different on my TEST server.
5) copy over the archive logs from my PRODUCTION server to TEST server that were created since the shutdown and backup of PRODUCTION
6) Mount the TEST database using the backup controlfile
7) Roll forward the TEST database.
8) if all goes well, the last command (according to the doc) is to issue the alter database open resetlogs

Is my scenario workable? Pse, show me the errors. I am spending the today, tomorrow, and probably Friday working with this so I am comfortable.

The only restore scenario I have done so far is to blow away oracle, and reinstall. NOTHING on the instance side changed. Database started right up and away we went. THAT was on semi-production server.

Are we having fun yet?