Guest Amy Posted September 11, 2008 Posted September 11, 2008 Quick question about the "date created" on files. Is that date always the date the file was created, or placed in a particular folder? Or is it possible to modify that date? I am trying to verify when something was placed in a particular folder, and want to make sure that the "date created" isn't modified if the file is modified. Thanks!
Guest Amy Posted September 11, 2008 Posted September 11, 2008 RE: Date Created - always correct? My apologies - I should have made it clear that I am referring to when I am using Windows Explorer, and using the "details" view. Thanks...
Guest Patrick Keenan Posted September 11, 2008 Posted September 11, 2008 Re: Date Created - always correct? "Amy" <Amy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:D98F7643-2EA3-47A5-8870-05083C8537B2@microsoft.com... > Quick question about the "date created" on files. Is that date always the > date the file was created, or placed in a particular folder? Or is it > possible to modify that date? I am trying to verify when something was > placed in a particular folder, and want to make sure that the "date > created" > isn't modified if the file is modified. > > Thanks! It's definitely possible to alter the date and timestamp. You will find that some software developers use the date and timestamp to identify specific file versions, and they use utilities that can set the date/time stamps of all the files in a folder structure to a specific value. Sorry, this won't be a reliable method of identification for you. HTH -pk
Guest Amy Posted September 11, 2008 Posted September 11, 2008 Re: Date Created - always correct? Patrick, Thanks for the info. Let me give a specific example, hope that helps. Our office has a shared drive on a network. Employees place various documents w/in a folder on that shared drive. The "date created" dates range all over the place, mostly corresponding to "date modified," so I don't believe any software changes have been made that would affect those dates. If a document has a "date created" (and date modified) from say a month ago, and I know that there haven't been any changes to the software, system, etc., is it fairly safe to say that that is when the document was in fact created (or placed in that folder)? I'm assuming the casual user can't change the date created? Thanks again! "Patrick Keenan" wrote: > > "Amy" <Amy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:D98F7643-2EA3-47A5-8870-05083C8537B2@microsoft.com... > > Quick question about the "date created" on files. Is that date always the > > date the file was created, or placed in a particular folder? Or is it > > possible to modify that date? I am trying to verify when something was > > placed in a particular folder, and want to make sure that the "date > > created" > > isn't modified if the file is modified. > > > > Thanks! > > It's definitely possible to alter the date and timestamp. You will find > that some software developers use the date and timestamp to identify > specific file versions, and they use utilities that can set the date/time > stamps of all the files in a folder structure to a specific value. > > Sorry, this won't be a reliable method of identification for you. > > HTH > -pk > >
Guest Patrick Keenan Posted September 11, 2008 Posted September 11, 2008 Re: Date Created - always correct? "Amy" <Amy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:4D1DA0F4-ADA5-4065-834B-B77633A94B74@microsoft.com... > Patrick, > > Thanks for the info. Let me give a specific example, hope that helps. > Our > office has a shared drive on a network. Employees place various documents > w/in a folder on that shared drive. The "date created" dates range all > over > the place, mostly corresponding to "date modified," so I don't believe any > software changes have been made that would affect those dates. If a > document > has a "date created" (and date modified) from say a month ago, and I know > that there haven't been any changes to the software, system, etc., is it > fairly safe to say that that is when the document was in fact created (or > placed in that folder)? I'm assuming the casual user can't change the > date > created? As a quick test, I found a document I created a year and a half ago. Looking at properties, its created date was april 2007. I simply copied it and pasted it to another folder, and its created date is now - today. Its modified date was April 2007 until I opened it, made a very minor change and saved it, undid the change and saved it again. . So it's *very* easy to change the date created or modified, no special tools are needed, and consequently I would not regard this as a reliable piece of data for decision-making. HTH -pk > > Thanks again! > > > "Patrick Keenan" wrote: > >> >> "Amy" <Amy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message >> news:D98F7643-2EA3-47A5-8870-05083C8537B2@microsoft.com... >> > Quick question about the "date created" on files. Is that date always >> > the >> > date the file was created, or placed in a particular folder? Or is it >> > possible to modify that date? I am trying to verify when something was >> > placed in a particular folder, and want to make sure that the "date >> > created" >> > isn't modified if the file is modified. >> > >> > Thanks! >> >> It's definitely possible to alter the date and timestamp. You will find >> that some software developers use the date and timestamp to identify >> specific file versions, and they use utilities that can set the date/time >> stamps of all the files in a folder structure to a specific value. >> >> Sorry, this won't be a reliable method of identification for you. >> >> HTH >> -pk >> >>
Guest PA Bear [MS MVP] Posted September 11, 2008 Posted September 11, 2008 Re: Date Created - always correct? What file or type of file? Amy wrote: > Quick question about the "date created" on files. Is that date always the > date the file was created, or placed in a particular folder? Or is it > possible to modify that date? I am trying to verify when something was > placed in a particular folder, and want to make sure that the "date > created" > isn't modified if the file is modified. > > Thanks!
Guest Amy Posted September 11, 2008 Posted September 11, 2008 Re: Date Created - always correct? A Word document - but I think Patrick has answered the question! Thanks!! "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote: > What file or type of file?
Guest PA Bear [MS MVP] Posted September 12, 2008 Posted September 12, 2008 Re: Date Created - always correct? Different files, different answers. Amy wrote: > A Word document - but I think Patrick has answered the question! Thanks!! > > > "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote: > >> What file or type of file?
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