Modify file/folder timestamps (date created, modified and accessed) with Attribute Changer.
September 24, 2011 34
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Before I begin this post let me state that the developer of Attribute Changer specifically states “64-bit editions of MS Windows are NOT supported“. Therefore this post is not for 64-bit users; however if you are a 64-bit user and you want to try out this software, please be kind enough to post your results (if you were successful or not) below.
A couple of weeks ago I had an assignment to turn in. It was a homework assignment that I was supposed to do at home then print out and bring to class. Being the slacker that I am, I forgot about the assignment. Before class began (~15 minutes) one of my classmates informed me that we had this certain assignment due that day. First I was shocked. Then I panicked. Hurriedly I started typing up the assignment on my laptop. Thankfully I finished before class started. However, as I mentioned earlier, I was supposed to bring a hard copy of the assignment to class. Obviously since I had just did it, I did not have a chance to print it. Thus when class started this was my conversation with my professor:
Me: “I did not have a chance to print out the assignment. May I email it to you?”
[Technically speaking the above statement was true.]
Her: “Do you have it done?”
Me: “Yes.”
[Again, technically speaking, the above statement was true; ignore the fact I had just done the assignment.]
Her: “Okay do email it to me now.”
Me: “The network is down.”
Her: “Again? Okay email it to me when it is back up.”
Me: “Thanks.”
I got around to emailing the assignment to her about 2 hours later because I had another class right after the class mentioned above. Right as I was emailing it to her I was thinking to myself:
“It has been a while since the network is up. I was supposed to email it to her when it came back up. What if she thinks I spent all this time doing the assignment? Maybe I can tell her to check the ‘Date Modified’ timestamp on the file.”
At that point I looked at the “Date Modified” and noticed it said “1 minute ago”. This was not surprising because I had just saved the file one minute ago (I always open my files and save them right before I send them to someone regardless of if I changed anything or not). At that point I was thinking:
“Oh crap. I may be screwed if she does not accept the assignment. I wish I could change that ‘Date Modified’ to two hours back.”
Well Ashraf, you moron, there is a way to change the “Date Modified”. In fact there is a way to change the “Date Created” and “Date Accessed” too. How do it you ask? Using Attribute Changer of course.
Attribute Changer is a handy program that allows you change the attributes of a file or folder. While it can change more attributues then just the timestamps, the focus of this Tips ‘n Tricks article is on the timestamp changing ability of Attribute Changer.
When you install Attribute Changer it adds an entry in your explorer context menu (there will be no desktop icon). You can only run Attribute Changer via this context menu entry. When you want to change the “Date Created”, “Date Modified” or “Date Accessed” of a file or folder, you right click on that specific file or folder, click on “Change Attributes”, change the timestamps you desire to change, click “Apply” and then “OK”. Viola! Now you can trick anyone into thinking you did that assignment on time change the timestamps of any file or folder as you please =).
Here is an example of changing the timestamps of a file on my computer:
- Before I use Attribute Changer:
- Now I use Attribute Changer to change all the timestamps:
- The result:
Isn’t it beautiful =D? You can download Attribute Changer from the following link:
Hi all,
My name is Romain Petges and I’m the developer of Attribute Changer and recently found this posting related to my freeware.
Based on the feedback, I wanted to share the following information :
- Attribute Changer is a shell extension for Windows Explorer, but many third-party file managers now also include the capability to use registered shell extensions. Just right-click on a file/folder in most file managers and the “Change attributes…” context menu should appear.
You must run a 64-bit file manager if you want to use the 64-bit shell extension of Attribute Changer on Windows x64. Be aware that I can’t support third-party file manager integration issues.
Feel free to contact me at http://www.petges.lu/support if you have questions or suggestions.
Best regards,
Romain
It does NOT change the modified date of folders, only FILES. If one wants to change the modified date of a FOLDER without changing the dates of the files that are INSIDE the folder – contrary to what you say in your “article” – this is NOT POSSIBLE.
Also, FYI, “viola” is a musical instrument.
Dear Philippe,
Changing the modified date of a folder only, without touching the files inside this folder is possible without problems (it’s a feature, available since version 2, published back in 2000).
If you need help, please refer to the documentation or contact me directly.
Best regards,
Romain Petges
I changed the modification and creation date on a file but when I emailed it the original creation date and the original modification date could be seen in the email. In my saved documents, the date is changed but it is not changed in the email. How do I fix it so the changed dates are still changed in the email (or so that the recipient of the email sees the changed dates rather than the original dates?)
[@Maggi]
Perchance are you using Win 7 ?
There are a few things I hate about Win 7.
One is the horrible ‘lucky dip’ start menu.
Another is the bullshit ‘smoke and mirrors’ it does with our File Manger. They create(present you) with bullshit copies of the real folder, and ‘maintenance’ that you think you are doing may only be happening to your copy.
I wonder if that is what is happening ?
Are you using Win 7 ?
Thanks
it helped me a lot
Thanks
It helped me very much
[@emers]
Rob, Nir is the best hands down utilities programmer alive in the world today and I do not even know what country he lives in.
It’s kind of like Karen’s program though she is dead now. Sad. Great VB programmer.
Get all the NIR stuff you can get now while it’s available, you will love his portablity.
Hey there, just wondering… what kind of assignment was it, that you could finish in under 15 min?! Thanks