Thanks for your answers, moved me forward a little .....
I do the following fine:
connect internal;
startup mount;
alter database datafile "/fullpath/filename.dbf" offline drop;
But, when I do this:
alter database open;
I get this:
ORA-01589: must use RESETLOGS or NORESETLOGS option for database open
So, I run:
alter database open resetlogs;
I get this:
ORA-01194: file 1 needs more recovery to be consistent
ORA-01110: data file 1: '/ora8/m01/app/oracle/oradata/ora8/system01.dbf'
So .... I then jump to the web page you pointed me at (which bizarrely I had looked at briefly before), and do the following:
recover database until cancel using backup controlfile;
and get:
ORA-00279: change 10965631 generated at 10/29/2002 18:13:13 needed for thread 1
ORA-00289: suggestion : /ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.6/dbs/arch1_2644.dbf
ORA-00280: change 10965631 for thread 1 is in sequence #2644
Specify log: {<RET>=suggested | filename | AUTO | CANCEL}
SO: I hit <RET> and get:
ORA-00308: cannot open archived log '/ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.6/dbs/arc
h1_2644.dbf'
ORA-27037: unable to obtain file status
Linux Error: 2: No such file or directory
Additional information: 3
ORA-01547: warning: RECOVER succeeded but OPEN RESETLOGS would get error below
ORA-01194: file 1 needs more recovery to be consistent
ORA-01110: data file 1: '/ora8/m01/app/oracle/oradata/ora8/system01.dbf'
And it is these last three errors I _always_ seem to end up with.
ORA-01547: warning: RECOVER succeeded but OPEN RESETLOGS would get error below
ORA-01194: file 1 needs more recovery to be consistent
ORA-01110: data file 1: '/ora8/m01/app/oracle/oradata/ora8/system01.dbf'
Agh!
Thanks for your help so far ......
