Date Created - always correct?

[Amy]

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!

 

[Amy]

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...

 

[Patrick Keenan]

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

 

[Amy]

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]

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

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

What file or type of file?

 

[Amy]

A Word document - but I think Patrick has answered the question! Thanks!!

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Different files, different answers.

A Word document - but I think Patrick has answered the question! Thanks!!