Restore a single tablespace without recovery?

  I have an Oracle 7.3.2.3 database. The database is being run in archivelog mode. A user messed up some tables and would like to restore them to the state they were in before his changes. All his tables are in a specific tablespace, no other users have data in that tablespace. I have a backup copy of the tablespace. If I take the tablespace offline and replace the datafile with the backup copy Oracle insists on doing media recovery on the tablespace when I try to bring the restored file back on-line. I don't want this in this case because this would just reapply the errors. Is there any way to tell it not to do that? It appears the alternative is to restore the entire database from the backup and use a cancel-based or time-based recovery. What I'd like to do is a time-based recovery of just the affected tablespace, but this does not appear to be an option. If I shut down the instance, restored just this tablespace and then restarted with resetlogs (ie without RECOVERING) would evil things happen?

ps. From now on I'll be taking exports of the database as well as tablespace backups so I'll be able to import specific tables when this situation next occurs.

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Malcolm Dunnett    Malaspina University-College     Email: dunnett_at_mala.bc.ca
Computer Services  Nanaimo, B.C. CANADA V9R 5S5       Tel: (250)755-8738