Hi,

I answered a very similiar question sometime ago.....If you search the archives you may find it.

However if my memory is OK it went something like this........

You can use an export file created from a later version to load into an older version if you install the Net8 and Database utilities of the newer version...(does that make sense??)

i.e. If you have an export file created from an 8.1.6 database and you want to load this into an 8.1.5 database you must install Net8 and the Database utilities from the 8.1.6 CD onto the same machine as the 8.1.5 database. (Install into a different home directory from the 8.1.5 software)

Once installed configure the 8.1.6 Net8 by including an entry in the 8.1.6 tnsnames.ora file for the 8.1.5 database.

Then set the ORACLE_HOME to the 8.1.6 installation and the ORACLE_SID to the 8.1.5 database.

Then use the 8.1.6 import utility and point it to the 8.1.5 database using the '@' sign:

imp system/[email protected] file=816exportfile log=logfile full=y

In short you'll have 2 installations of Oracle :
The Original 8.1.5 installation in one Home directory and a partial (Net8 and DB Utilities) 8.1.6 installation in another Home directory. You can then use the 8.1.6 import.

I hope this makes sense!!!

Regards

Craig.