DATABASE RECOVERY

We use Oracle version 7. We intend to run the database in Archivelog mode, but for the time being have been using Noarchivelog mode. Can anyone offer me some advice on the following recovery problem ?

When a database is restored (data+logs+control files from full offline backup) via an operating system copy, if one of the data files cannot be restored because the backup is corrupt, then Oracle will not bring up the partially-restored database because the files are inconsistent. We know in fact that the data is entirely consistent even though the versions of the physical files are not the same. However we had to drop the offending file in order to open the database.

Please can someone tell me if A) we had to drop the file (we manually recovered from this situation), or whether we could have taken an easier course of action, and B) if operating in archivelog mode would have enabled us to overcome this problem?

Many Thanks.

-- 
Greg Hayes