File explorer and date created/modified change when copying files/folders.

Anonymous
2024-02-17T14:09:45+00:00

Dear Microsoft Wizards,

I come to you with a tale of woe, a saga of time-displaced files and folders that have lost their way in the temporal vortex of Windows File Explorer. In an age where we can chat with AI, drive electric chariots, and binge-watch shows about dragons and spaceships, I find myself anchored to a mundane reality. In reality, copying files and folders in Windows File Explorer betrays their original timestamps, casting them adrift in the present, forgetting their noble past.

Imagine a world where one could copy a file or folder without the cruel hands of the present altering their date and time stamps. A world where digital artifacts remain untouched by the ravages of time, preserving their history as meticulously as a museum curator with a penchant for organization and accuracy.

"Why not use robocopy or other command prompt utilities?" I hear you ask, your voices echoing through the hallowed halls of Redmond. Ah, but here lies the rub! While these tools are mighty in their own right, they demand a saint's patience and a wizard's expertise. Delving into the command prompt is akin to stepping into an ancient crypt inscribed with arcane commands and cryptic parameters. It is a thrilling adventure for the occasional file or two, perhaps, but Herculean labor when faced with the task of preserving the timestamps of hundreds, nay, thousands of files and folders.

So, I pray that you, the noble scribes and engineers of Microsoft, bestow upon us, the humble users, a magical feature within the Windows File Explorer itself. A feature that allows us to copy our digital treasures while keeping their temporal essence intact – no spells, no incantations, and indeed no command line rituals required.

In this quest for temporal fidelity, I stand ready to champion this cause, armed with nothing but my wit and a profound desire for user-friendly file management. Together, let us forge a new path through the annals of digital file preservation, ensuring that our files and folders may travel through the vast expanse of directories without losing sight of their origins.

Yours in time-traveling solidarity,

Luis Martinez

******@outlook.com

P.S. If this feature comes to pass, future generations will look back on this moment as a turning point in history – the day we let our files journey through time, unaltered and proud, their timestamps shining like beacons of their actual age.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-05-29T14:59:03+00:00

    I strongly disagree. Create date should never be changed! That is what the modified date is for!!!!

    You may think that that was the original design of create date. I believe you were wrong! I programmed for over 30 years on the mainframe and when we started on PCs the create state the same no matter where you moved a file to! So whoever made that decision to modify the create date was incorrect in their decision!

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  2. Les Ferch 10,361 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-05-29T11:17:14+00:00

    For "Date created", that's working as designed. It is supposed to be the date the file is first created on a given volume. It's useful forensic information. It was never meant to represent the content creation date, but of course does serve that purpose for the original volume.

    You can install a third party file copy tool, that integrates with Explorer, and, by default, resets the Date created when copying files (which includes moves to another volume) to match the original date created. One such tool is TeraCopy.

    You can also achieve the same result using RoboCopy or Zip/UnZip, as you mentioned, but then you have to remember to do that.

    If your Date modified is being changed to the current date as well, that's a different issue (i.e. it's not supposed to do that). Please clarify if that happened.

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-05-29T05:30:05+00:00

    Yeah, so I just had this issue.

    USB stick with a bunch of files on it.

    I left-clicked, dragged to my z drive (which is my nas) unclicked and selected "move"

    Everything thing (files and folders) got creation dates and times set to "now".

    I really wish I could leave microsoft, but I've got 30 years on the platform and I (usually) just don't have to think about how to get what I want.

    Unfortunately, what I want is my creation and modified dates to stay the same when being moved. I've been horrified by how often timestamps on old files have provided information that was critical critical to some question.

    Now that data is gone.

    I will remember to zip - move - unzip in the future.

    Microsoft, PLEASE fix this.

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-05-23T03:23:06+00:00

    But date taken is not capture used for raw files - e.g Nikon .NEF files. Nikon's Date shot is captured into date taken for JPEG files and accessible via file property details. No such luxury for raw files.

    I would appreciate it is someone could verify my conclusions below.

    After many painful experiences when file tweaking timestamp data (due to operator error in camera) I have found it seems upon first import Nikon's Date Shot is used to populate date created and date modified value (as seen in NXStudio opening an external camera card formatted as ex-fat (what Nikon use)- which is fair given the above. When imported these into files into File Explorer the files date value is set to the imported date modified value (at this point the same as date taken/date shot value). Any future manipulation of the files like refining their name to help File Explorer to sort them faster (instead of what seems to occur opening each file to get date info and then sort) will update the file's date modified but note the date is still as it was when imported set at date created. Again I guess this is as it is designed and fair. If you however copy or move such a file however the date field inherits the date modified date and updates based on current date and/or the new date created date. etc etc

    What is desperately needed to massively simply large volume based file manipulations is a field with date shot i.e. the already used for JPEG but not for RAW date taken field. As it doesn't exist there can be no retrospective issues surely. I'd like a solution please that doesn't require me to use third party tools or hack how explorer works

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  5. Anonymous
    2025-04-07T01:55:58+00:00

    Hello, Lui Lui the 3rd

    Welcome to the Microsoft community.

    Your eloquently woven tale of temporal displacement within the realms of Windows File Explorer has reached the ears of us mere mortals tending the vast digital libraries at Microsoft.

    We understand your frustration, Thank you for your feedback, and Microsoft will continue to make improvements to serve you better.

    Best Regards,

    Aaron- MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

    It has been over a year and the file dates are still not preserved. I'm very sad.

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