How to change a folders creation date - solved!

JohnB47

Edit. No need to reply folks. I did another search and came across another program called Attribute Changer. Once installed, you simply right click on any file/folder and you can change all sorts of stuff. By selecting a high level folder you can choose to change sub folders too and that does exactly what I want.

I wonder if anyone knows how to do this, on a number of folders. Why? Because my car allows me to play MP3s on a usb stick but lists them in order of the creation date of the folder that holds each album.

I'm thinking that if I can go in and change all the folders dates to be the same, then the albums might be listed in alphabetical order.

I've come across a small exe program called BulkFileChanger and at least one review suggests that it can change date/times of both files and folders. However, I can't get it to select folders - only files. I've sent the makers a question but they aren't replying.

So any ideas how I can do this, hopefully in a bulk way, not individual folder by folder?

Thanks.

A.Penny.Saved

I use Attribute Changer 8
http://www.petges.lu

If you select the files/folders and then right click them it will allow you to modify the 3 time/dates for the files and folders. It does indicate the amount of selected folders and subfolders can be also be modified.

Bulk Rename Utility can also do it but is less complete although it might do what you want.

Both are free to use.

wongataa

JohnB47 wrote: »

So any ideas how I can do this, hopefully in a bulk way, not individual folder by folder?

Thanks.

Why would you need to do this?

DoaM

wongataa wrote: »

Why would you need to do this?

Did you even read the OP? It says in there exactly why.

A.Penny.Saved

When you select files and folder and then right click and select Attribute Changer in the right click menu it shows the dialogue and indicates how many folders are selected. The file properties tab also shows how many files are selected.

The advanced button on both the folder and file properties tabs allows modification of files/folders created/modified/assessed between a range or exclude certain files or folders.

Whether that will fix the sorting of files on your car, I do not know but it should alter the dates/times on the files and folders. It should be able to do all of them very quickly. There is a simulation mode too so you could check that it is doing what you require.

Stompa

Referring back to the original problem, I wonder if there's anything useful here:

http://www.murraymoffatt.com/software-problem-0010.html

John_Gray

You will find that in the NTFS file system the only timestamp which bears any hope of consistency is the File Modified Time.

The File Created Time and the File Last Accessed Time all get changed on a somewhat arbitrary basis.

There's a very old technical paper about this topic which still holds true I believe!

JohnB47

Thanks everyone for your replies.

This is not a big problem, just one of those little curiosities that I like to get to the bottom of.

I've tried using Attribute Changer on a few music folders but I can't get to the bottom of it. No matter what I do, the car system seems to present the folders in random (well, slightly random). I'm still trying but may give up. No big problem as I say.

My next idea is to create three folders called AAA, BBB, CCC and copy into them the same MP3 file, then give everything, folders and files, the same creation, modification etc. dates and times. If that doesn't order things correctly, then nothing will. If it does, I'll try to unpick things from there.

Perhaps I should just get a life!

A.Penny.Saved

See if numbering them makes a difference. Try a few to see if they get put at the top. It might not provide any sorting.

Bulk rename utility can do complex renames and easily add prefixes to filenames. That comes under numbering on the right.

You can pad the numbers if you wanted 3 or 4 digit numbers and add a separator.

It can also change the file stamps if that is needed as well.

http://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/

JohnB47

Stompa wrote: »

Referring back to the original problem, I wonder if there's anything useful here:

http://www.murraymoffatt.com/software-problem-0010.html

Well, after fiddling about with various little free programs that allowed me to change the various dates and times of files and folders (creation, modification etc.), with no success, I decided to fully read the site you linked to.

I then decided to download 'FAT Reader', mentioned on that site and having played about with it today, I have total success!! Thank you Stompa.

There are a few things to get right before using the program and some odd things to do when using it. Otherwise the results can come out only half alphabetically sorted, leaving you scratching your head.

If anyone is really interested I can post a reminder guide that I wrote, for the inevitable time when I need to copy in a new album and have forgotten how to do a re-sort using FAT Reader. (This will happen!)

This program is really useful for those of us who want to play music stored on a USB but find that the albums aren't being listed alphabetically on the playing device.

Many thanks again Stompa. Excellent advice.