how preserve file dates when burning data CDRs?

[Walter Harley]

(Pardon the re-post: I originally posted this question in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware, but that seems to have been the wrong
group.)

When I use Windows XP's built-in software to burn data CDRs, it sets the
file dates of all the files on the CD to the CD creation time, rather than
the creation date of the original file.

I am trying to back up my hard drive to CDRs, so I want to preserve the
original file dates.

Is there some way to achieve this?

 

[Harry Ohrn]

You need third party software to do that. Nero will enable you to retain
original file dates.

 

[Alex Nichol]

(Pardon the re-post: I originally posted this question in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware, but that seems to have been the wrong
group.)

When I use Windows XP's built-in software to burn data CDRs, it sets the
file dates of all the files on the CD to the CD creation time, rather than
the creation date of the original file.

I am trying to back up my hard drive to CDRs, so I want to preserve the
original file dates.

You cannot do that with the inbuilt burning - you need one of the third
party packages like Nero. Reason is that the inbuilt system starts by
making a copy to a holding area of hard disk - that is a 'new' file,
with a creation date set at 'now'

 

[Walter Harley]

You cannot do that with the inbuilt burning - you need one of the third
party packages like Nero. Reason is that the inbuilt system starts by
making a copy to a holding area of hard disk - that is a 'new' file,
with a creation date set at 'now'

Pretty silly reason, if you ask me - after all, it's trivial to set the file
date programmatically, just as XCOPY (or dragging and dropping between hard
drive folders in the Explorer) does.

I suspect the real reason is that they didn't want to be accused of driving
the third-party utility companies out of business by providing the same
functionality for free. Which is a shame, since transparently copying files
between various pieces of hardware would seem to be well within the purview
of the operating system. After all, I can copy a file to a floppy disk
without changing its file date and without employing third-party software;
why not to a CDR?

Oh well, thanks for the answer!