Whenever a file or folder is created in Windows, there are some attributes attached to it like file name, size, location, creation and modification date and time and attributes like if the file or folder is read only, hidden or ready for archiving etc. Windows does not give any way to edit these attributes except for some attributes like making a file read only or hidden etc. All these attributes can be seen under file or folder properties.
Here we are going to discuss about a few tools with which you will be able to change the creation/modification date of a file or folder. Multiple files or folders can also be selected to change the creation or modification date and time. Let’s begin with BatchTouch.
BatchTouch
BatchTouch is the easiest of programs to change the creation and modification date and time of a file or folder. BatchTouch is a portable program which can be used to modify multiple files and folders at the same time. It has a very simple interface. When you open BatchTouch, you will need to drag and drop all the files and folders that you want to change and select the new date and time on the right hand pane. This will apply to all the selected files. When you press the “Go” button, changes will be applied to all the files and folders.
Before actually applying the changes, BatchTouch will give you a warning that this operation can not be undone. You need to proceed with caution. If you are unsure of this, just make a backup of your files and folders before applying any changes.
BulkFileChanger
BulkFileChanger is a free and portable utility from Nirsoft which can be used to change almost any file or folder attribute including creation, modification and access date and time stamps. BulkFileChanger usage is also very simple and uses a drag and drop interface. After running the program, you will need to select the files and folders which you want to change. After listing them down in BulkFileChanger, you will need to go to the actions menu and select “Change time / attributes”. You can also use F6 keyboard hotkey for the same action. You will need to press the “Do it” button in order to change the file and folder attributes.
Restamper
Restamper is another open source and portable program for changing the creation and modification date and time of multiple files and folders. The user interface of Restamper is a bit confusing. First you will need to set the date and time that you want to be changed. There are three options on the Restamper window:
- Created
- Last modified
- Last accessed
All these three attributes can be changed. After you have set these values, you will need to drag and drop the files and folders that you want to be changed on the Restamper window. The file and folder attributes will instantly be changed without further actions. One benefit of Restamper is that it automatically creates a backup of all the file and folder operations that have been done through Restamper. You can easily restore the original date and time stamps as long as you keep the backups.
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