Guide to Changing a File's Date Attributes

Every file you create has at least three date attributes attached to it. These dates include the date created, date the file was last modified and the date the file was last accessed. When you right click a file or view a file's details in Windows Explorer, you can only view these dates. If you want to edit the date, you must use a third party program.

Two free applications exist that are incredibly simple to use and are extremely small in size. There are numerous reasons you may want to change file dates. If your computer's date settings are incorrect, this can result in incorrect dates on your files as well. This is where date property changing programs come into play. Having the correct dates on your files will help you quickly search and organize files based on dates.

The first program is by NirSoft called FileDate Changer. You can change all three file date attributes on multiple files at once. The program is only 20 Kb, which downloads in seconds, no matter what your connection speed. FileDate Changer is free. See the steps below to change date attributes with this program. Note that the download link is listed at the bottom of the website.

Step 1 - Download and unzip FileDate Changer. Unzip a folder by first opening the zipped folder and selecting "Extract All Files" on the left side of the screen. Follow the prompts to extract the files.

Step 2 - Double click the FileDate icon to start the program.

Step 3 - Press "Add Files" to add one or more files. Any files with date attributes can be added.

Step 4 - Place a check in the checkboxes beside the dates you want to change. Date drop down boxes will be grayed out if they are not selected.

Step 5 - Use the date drop down boxes beside each attribute to change the date. You can also change the time.

Step 6 - Press "Change File Dates" to immediately change the selected files' date attributes.

The second program is SetFileDate by No Nonsense Software. This is the second application listed on No Nonsense Software's free software page. The file is 500 Kb, which may take up to two minutes on slower connections. The great thing about SetFileDate is the ability to change the dates on folders as well as files. See the steps below to change file date attributes with SetFileDate.

Step 1 - Download and unzip SetFileDate.

Step 2 - Double click the setup file and follow the wizard prompts to install the program.

Step 3 - Open SetFileDate.

Step 4 - Select the "Select Files" tab to add files or the "Scan Folders" to select folders.

Step 5 - Browse for files. Select a file to add it. If you're scanning folders, choose a start folder and any file extensions you want to change. If you want to change all files in the folder, leave the extensions at the default.

Step 6 - Choose a date and time from the drop down boxes to the right of the screen.

Step 7 - Choose which dates you want to modify.

Step 8 - Press "Modify Dates."

Once you've changed the date attributes on a file, right click the file to double check that the dates are correct. Never open the file after changing the Last Date Accessed or Modified dates. This will alter the dates to today's date.

For beginners, FileDate Changer is much simpler to use, with less clutter on the screen. For more options, SetFileDate is the better application. I have used both on a variety of file types after a virus changed all my date properties in several folders. In less than five minutes, I had all the dates corrected.