How to edit timestamps with Windows PowerShell

Martin Brinkmann
Oct 9, 2017
Updated • Oct 9, 2017
Windows, Windows tips
|
12

The following tutorial demonstrates how you can edit file timestamps -- create, last access and last write -- using Windows PowerShell.

PowerShell is part of any modern version of Microsoft's Windows operating system. Microsoft shifted to PowerShell away from the Command Prompt on Windows 10, but did not remove the command prompt doing so.

Windows 10 users and administrators have access to both, but the development focus lies clearly on PowerShell.

Each file on Windows, and other operating systems as well, has several timestamps associated with it. The file system keeps track of the files creation time, last access time, and last write time.

How to edit timestamps with Windows PowerShell

powershell change timestamp

First thing you need to do is to launch a PowerShell window.  Tap on the Windows-key, type PowerShell and hit the Enter-key afterwards. Note that this launches the prompt under the current user account. If you require an elevated prompt, for instance to edit file timestamps of folders that the user has limited access to, hold down Shift-key and Ctrl-key additionally.

The three commands that you require are the following ones:

  • $(Get-Item FILENAME.EXT).creationtime=$(DATE)
  • $(Get-Item FILENAME.EXT).lastaccesstime=$(DATE)
  • $(Get-Item FILENAME.EXT).lastwritetime=$(DATE)

The three commands change the creation, last access and last write timestamps of the file when you run them.

Note: Last Access Time is not enabled by default on all supported versions of Windows because of performance concerns.

To give you some examples:

  • $(Get-Item test.txt).creationtime=$(Get-Date)
  • $(Get-Item test.txt).lastaccesstime=$(Get-Date "12/24/2011 07:15 am")

The first command sets the creation timestamp of the file text.txt to the current date and time. The second command changes the last access time and date to December 24th, 2011 at 7:15 am.

Note that the command requires that the file is in the current directory of the PowerShell prompt.

Helpful commands

Once thing that may be useful is to list the file timestamps of the current folder before and after you run the PowerShell command. This makes it easier to find files that still require changing, and check whether the changes have been applied correctly.

Get-ChildItem -force | Select-Object Mode, Name, CreationTime, LastAccessTime, LastWriteTime | ft

powershell list timestamps

The command lists all files and folders of the current path, and displays the creation time, last access time and last write time of each item in a table.

  • -force in this context includes hidden and system files in the output.
  • ft is short for format table.

If you just need the create timestamp, run Get-ChildItem -force instead.

The following script runs the operation on all files.

$modifyfiles = Get-ChildItem -force | Where-Object {! $_.PSIsContainer}
foreach($object in $modifyfiles)
{
$object.CreationTime=("11/11/2011 12:00:00")

$object.LastAccessTime=("11/11/2011 12:00:00")

$object.LastWritetime=("11/11/2011 12:00:00")

}

Just copy and paste it, and change it according to your requirements.

Tip: If you prefer a graphical user interface when it comes to changing timestamps, check out the free software program Attribute Changer instead.

Summary
How to edit timestamps with Windows PowerShell
Article Name
How to edit timestamps with Windows PowerShell
Description
The following tutorial highlights how you can edit file timestamps -- create, last access and last write -- using Windows PowerShell.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Dan Donx said on January 15, 2023 at 10:29 am
    Reply

    What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?

    Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.

    If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.

  2. Dexter said on January 15, 2023 at 11:14 am
    Reply

    5. Rufus
    6. Ventoy

    PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.

    1. cdr said on January 15, 2023 at 3:32 pm
      Reply

      I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.

  3. sv said on January 15, 2023 at 6:40 pm
    Reply

    bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.

    ps…. time travelling?
    written. Jan 15, 2023
    Updated • Jan 13, 2023

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on January 16, 2023 at 5:49 am
      Reply

      This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.

  4. Anonymous said on January 16, 2023 at 8:24 am
    Reply

    Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.

  5. basingstoke said on January 16, 2023 at 11:18 am
    Reply

    I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:

    1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)

    2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)

    3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””

    4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows

    5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss

    Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:

    6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now

    Have I missed any group off this list?

    1. Heinz Strunk said on September 19, 2023 at 3:57 pm
      Reply

      You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.

      Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.

  6. ilev said on August 24, 2023 at 7:34 pm
    Reply

    Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update

    1. EP said on August 24, 2023 at 9:21 pm
      Reply

      only from windows update though
      KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site

  7. Anonymous said on August 24, 2023 at 11:05 pm
    Reply

    1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.

    2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.

    3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.

    This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
    Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.

    Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.

  8. john said on August 24, 2023 at 11:17 pm
    Reply

    Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.

    1. John G. said on August 25, 2023 at 12:08 pm
      Reply

      Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.

  9. EP said on August 25, 2023 at 3:10 pm
    Reply

    motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
    https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215

  10. EP said on August 29, 2023 at 7:32 pm
    Reply

    check out the following recent articles:

    Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
    https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/

    BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
    https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/

  11. Leonard Britvolli said on August 30, 2023 at 10:33 pm
    Reply

    While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.

  12. sembrador said on September 5, 2023 at 9:32 pm
    Reply

    My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.

  13. EP said on September 6, 2023 at 11:55 am
    Reply

    motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):

    https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277

  14. Raphael Benzo said on September 24, 2023 at 9:52 pm
    Reply

    I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
    Tank you for your help

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