Moving files, keeping Dates

peter999

I want to move some files to another drive.

Currently when I move files, the Date Modified updates to the date/time I move them.


Is there a way I can keep all the original Dates (Date Modified/Date Created) the same on the moved files, so they don't update ?

Head_The_Ball

What OS are you using?

Are the two drives on the same PC?

I have a dual disk laptop running Windows7.

I have just tested copying a few files from one disk to the other. The Date Modified and Date Created dates are retained on the copied versions.

I have also tested moving them with the same results so I don't know why you are losing the original dates.

Perhaps you could try this and see if you get the right result.

Copy all the files that you want to move into a new folder on the same disk that they are currently on. Then copy that folder to the other disk and see if the date are retained.

Good luck.

googler

This, and some of the links therein, may help

http://superuser.com/questions/146125/how-to-preserve-file-attributes-when-one-copies-files-in-windows

Mr_Toad

peter999 wrote: »

I want to move some files to another drive.

Currently when I move files, the Date Modified updates to the date/time I move them.


Is there a way I can keep all the original Dates (Date Modified/Date Created) the same on the moved files, so they don't update ?

Hmm.........

I'm assuming Windows as it's the most popular OS.

As Peter says the dates on the file shouldn't change but the date on the folder you're copying to will as you are modifying the folder by putting the file in there. File Explorer uses the creation and modified dates of folders as well as files when searching. It is one of Explorers minor irritations.

As a result searching for a file you worked on in November but moved in January might not be found as the date on the folder will be January and when the search finds the folder date is Jan and not Nov it may be stopping the search and moving on to the next folder without looking at the contents. Not perfect but it speeds up the search.

Perhaps you could check both the folder and file dates and let us know, also exactly what OS and how you're doing it

There are third party files that can do what you want and preserve the dates.

pappa_golf

zip the files up , move and then unzip

dhbedson

Use robocopy, there are options to keep attributes like 'timestamp', supported in Vista onward.

esuhl

I find the "last modified" timestamp pretty useless. I believe that Windows 8 onwards has this set anyway, but you can check that you have the following registry key:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem]
“NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate”=dword:00000001