How do you copy while preserving create and modify dates?

[fleshconsumed]

I need to copy a bunch of files from one drive to another. Unfortunately by default windows resets create and modify timestamps to the time when the file was copied. The same behavior occurs if you move files instead of copying. Occasionally I like to sort by date to see what's new and what's old and copying files like this messes that up because all the timestamps have been reset to the last time the file was moved to another drive. I have tried googling, and came across robocopy suggestion to keep file attributes. However, I tried it yesterday with /COPYALL flag that in theory should have kept original create and modify timestamps, but it looks like it doesn't work, at least not when you copy files to a different drive. Is there anything else for windows that lets you keep the original create and modify timestamps when copying or moving stuff to a different drive?

 

[code65536]

I use this: http://code.kliu.org/misc/vcopy/

Or, since you've already performed the copy, you can clone the timestamps from the original files to the new files (if you haven't deleted the originals) using http://code.kliu.org/misc/timeclone/

Both are command-line utilities. I personally just stick a copy of them in C:\Windows (or some other location in %PATH%) to make them easier to use.

 

[Evadman]

I use robocopy to do exactly what you want to do. I use it to sync several file servers, and it has no problem preserving the dates. I usually override the retry to zero since these are backups using the /R:0 flag.

Robocopty copies folders, not files, so source and destination are both folders, not files.

Robocopy <source> <destination> /COPY😀ATSOU /E /DCOPY:T

 

[code65536]

I had tried robocopy before settling on vcopy; unfortunately, robocopy doesn't preserve directory timestamps.

 

[fleshconsumed]

OK, final report, I got the robocopy working as expected.

Turns out that

/COPYALL aka /COPY:DATSOU

copies file timestamps

/DCOPY:T

copies directories timestamps

I was using /COPYALL argument, but not /DCOPY:T which is why it appeared that the robocopy did not work.

Thanks to Evadman for helping me figure it out.

PS now what are the tags to disable smiley parsing? The

 tag is kind of awkward.

 

[lxskllr]

PS now what are the tags to disable smiley parsing? The

 tag is kind of awkward.[/QUOTE]

Checkbox in Additional Options under the reply window. Select Disable smilies in text.

 

[fleshconsumed]

I only have "Show your signature" and "Automatically parse links in text" checkboxes, no "Disable smileys"...

OK, figured it out, had to switch from "basic editor" to "standard editor" in the User CP. Thanks.