Windows 10: file modification date set as "Sometime in the future"

i was moving files from an sd card to a folder on my pc. when i looked at the files, one of them had a modification date as "sometime in the future". i have my date set correctly on my pc, and i havent messed with the file for months. why did this happen?file name censored for privacy, sorry

:)

 

I didn't open or change the files, but the file modification date changes

Dear Microsoft Support,

I've noticed an issue on my laptop where file modification dates are changing, even though I haven't opened or modified these files. I'm wondering if this could be caused by a system software update. Has this issue been reported by other users?

Specifically, I'd like to know:

1. Can system updates affect file modification dates?
   
2. Are you aware of any similar cases?
   

Thank you for your assistance.

 

Wrong file modification dates/times

Thanks Brian for your interest in that issue with file dates. I wonder why this is not heavily discussed in the community.

At least we agree for the backup case. If a sync program is similar to a backup program or not is a philosophic question which I would like to avoid. But I think at the end a synchronization should lead to a "similar" state in both synchronized data sets.
And for me the modification date of a file is an essential information that is part of a files identity. Hence a synchronization should not change it. This is philosophy again. You certainly know these OO discussions about "identity" of objects.

But leave aside all philosophy. At the end ActiveSync produces the current date as file (modify-) date for all (!) files on the mobiles My Documents, even those that have not been changed since months or years. And this is certainly not a desirable behaviour.

One reason for that is ActiveSyncs Copy behaviour. An other seems to be its handling of archive bits. I will write on this in a later article.

I do not agree to that. And Microsoft doesn't either as I will show.

I agree to that. But this is another question and not relevant for file synchronization. I did not carefully examine how ActiveSync handles directory dates. The file case causes work enough for me.

How do Windows Mobile and Windows PC handle file dates during copy operations? I made experiments for creation date and modification date. I left aside last-access dates. They seem not being really supported on Windows Mobile and they are not really interesting
for the user. The creation date is normally not very important as well. What the user needs all day is the modification date. Often this is just named "file date" as a synonym.

----------------------

The following is done completely on a standalone mobile device with WM6.1 not attached to the PC. No ActiveSync interaction.

Say you have a file in Directory A.

Created at 07:32, last edited at 08:25.

==> in DirA:

Create Time: 07:32

Modify Time: 08:25

1) At 08:30 copy it for the first time to Directory B. It did not exist in DirB.

==> in DirB:

Create Time: 07:32

Modify Time: 08:25

+++ Both times are unchanged by copy which is reasonable.

+++ But I would agree if both times were 08:30

2) At 08:44 edit the file in DirB

==> in DirB:

Create Time: 07:32

Modify Time: 08:44

+++ The file gets the new modified time

3) At 08:47 copy it back to DirA. Confirm to overwrite the file.

==> in DirA:

Create Time: 07:32

Modify Time: 08:44

+++ The create time is not changed from its former value in DirA. As a result of Step 1) this is equal to the create time in DirB.

+++ The modify time is unchanged (!) which is reasonable.

... and so on

If you do the same on a PC with Windows XP you will see:

Windows on the PC shows exactly the same behaviour concerning the modification date.

But - strange enough - it is different concerning the creation date during first copy.

After Step 1) when you first copy a file the target file will have:

==> in DirB:

Create Time: 08:30

Modify Time: 08:25

+++ The modify time is unchanged by copy which is reasonable.

+++ The create time is changed to time of copy.

??? This is a bit strange, because the file was now modified before (!) being created.

+++ But why not?

Steps 2) and 3) behave equal as on the mobile.

The file in DirA keeps its original create date and inherits the modify date from the copy source in DirB.

----------------------

To summarize:

+++ COPY operations do not change modification dates.

At least on Windows operating systems. Which is a reasonable behaviour.

??? Initial COPY operations (target does not exist) do change the creation date on Windows, but not on Windows Mobile. Which is a strange idea of the Microsoft programmers/designers.

+++ Later COPY operations (target does already exist) do not change the creation or modification dates.

At least on Windows operating systems. Which is a reasonable behaviour.

--- ActiveSync however always changes the modification date to the current date during each copy caused by a synchronization.

Which I consider an ActiveSync bug or design defect respectively.



Werner Geiger, IT-Architect

 

I didn't open or change the files, but the file modification date changes

Hello, Charlotte Wang426

Welcome to the Microsoft community.

Thank you for your feedback. System updates do have the potential to affect file modification dates, especially in the following cases:



System indexing or scanning: the system may update file indexes or perform security scans in the background, which may change file metadata, including modification dates.

File system bug fixes: If a system update includes a file system fix, the metadata of the file may be changed during the fix.

System restore or backup operations: If a backup or restore operation is performed during a system update, this may result in changes to file modification dates.

About your question:



Do system updates affect file modification dates? Yes, as mentioned above, system updates may change file modification dates in some cases.

Are you aware of other users who have reported similar situations? Yes, some users have reported file modification date changes after a system update. This may be due to the operating system performing some of the actions described above during the update process.

If you encounter this situation, you can take the following steps:



Check system update logs: Check the recent system update logs for changes that may have affected the file system.

Check anti-virus software: Some anti-virus software will update the modification date of the file when scanning the file.

Check the system event log: The system event log may record information about file modifications.



Generally, it will not affect your normal use and you can ignore it.

If you have any other questions, please let me know in time.

I look forward to your feedback.

Best Regards,

Aaron| Microsoft Community Support Specialist