Oracle Database Discussions

Been at this a few days now... so I hope you can help.

Windows XP (sp2 slipstreamed)
Logged in as "Administrator" to the local machine (not the domain)

I have downloaded Oracle 10g for Windows and have installed it using the Universal installer. The only parameter I changed was the default name of the database from orcl to ORAC (and given the problem I have had with the manager, that's turned out to be an appropriate name!). I set the passwords to be all the same and then let it run.

Before installation I logged in as "Administrator" and configured the environmental variables - oracle_home, oracle_sid, sid etc.

It installs, sqlplus client and isqlplus (the web version) both connect fine and so does the windows administrator snapin.

The only thing that refuses point blank to see the database is the Enterprise Manager.

The Enterprise Manager takes the SYS logon (as sysdba) quite happily and then it states:

Error

java.lang.Exception: Exception in sending Request :: null


Status Status Pending
Status Pending Since Unavailable
Last Known State

Nice friendly error message there Oracle... thanks

So more digging
emctl status dbconsole produces
EM Daemon is not running.

which seems to go with
Clicking Startup/Shutdown gets me
Couldnot contact the agent. Verify that the url for the agent is null

Trying the preferences in the EM webpage
gets me "Io exception: Unknown host specified"

As near as I can figure, the "agent" is missing - but according to the documentation I have read dbconsole is all that is needed (I not running the grid computing bit).

Ideas?