Date Created - always correct?

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!

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...

"Amy" <Amy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news98F7643-2EA3-47A5-8870-05083C8537B2@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

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
> news98F7643-2EA3-47A5-8870-05083C8537B2@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
>
>

"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
>> news98F7643-2EA3-47A5-8870-05083C8537B2@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
>>
>>

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!

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


"PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:

> What file or type of file?

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?