Everything incorrectly displaying timestamps

Discussion related to "Everything" 1.5 Alpha.
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anmac1789
Posts: 627
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 1:16 pm

Everything incorrectly displaying timestamps

Post by anmac1789 »

I'm not sure if everything is displaying file date timestamps incorrectly or if windows 10 explorer is not showing it or if robocopy is at fault here. But I just copied a folder and viewed the copied folder with everything and here is my findings:

Here is the screenshot from source folder to destination folder:

Screenshot 2024-01-16 154159.jpg
Screenshot 2024-01-16 154159.jpg (197.55 KiB) Viewed 2255 times

here is the robocopy command that I used with powershell:

Screenshot 2024-01-16 154306.jpg
Screenshot 2024-01-16 154306.jpg (381.59 KiB) Viewed 2255 times
Screenshot 2024-01-16 161443.jpg
Screenshot 2024-01-16 161443.jpg (123.87 KiB) Viewed 2255 times

As an additonal test measure I used robocopy with windows powershell and it also shows a different date accessed timestamp after copy:

Screenshot 2024-01-16 161645.jpg
Screenshot 2024-01-16 161645.jpg (141.08 KiB) Viewed 2254 times

Everything displays the time accessed of both folders as exactly equal somehow. Is robocopy not properly copying folders as it's supposed to? Does the accuracy of timestamps depend if robocopy is used in terminal, cmd (admin mode) or powershell ? Is there another way to display the full resolution of date and time fields with windows itself ?
void
Developer
Posts: 16450
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Everything incorrectly displaying timestamps

Post by void »

Currently, Everything only updates date accessed for folders when the folder is modified.
A folder is "modified" when changing the folders attributes or renaming the folder.

While changing a child file/folder also modifies the folder, only the date modified information is currently updated.



For files, the date accessed information is only updated in Everything when the file is modified.
This includes data changes, attribute changes and renaming the file.



To update date accessed information for folders in Everything when indexing date accessed:
Set and then unset an attribute. -The archive attribute works well for this and you can apply it to the folder only, instead of all descendants.
-or-
Reindex the drive from Tools -> Options -> NTFS -> Volume -> Right click -> Reindex.



To update date accessed information for folders in Everything when not indexing date accessed:
Press F5.



The next alpha update will use the date modified for date accessed (if it is later than the current date accessed)
While not correct, it will probably make the date accessed information more useful than it currently is..
Modifying the folder will use the correct date accessed information.
There's no USN record for date accessed changes so tracking this information is limited.

I have on my TODO list to add Ctrl + F5 to refresh this information for selected results.



I recommend not indexing date accessed.
Gather this information as it is needed as tracking this information is limited.
anmac1789
Posts: 627
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 1:16 pm

Re: Everything incorrectly displaying timestamps

Post by anmac1789 »

Hi again, I made a .rar archive of the test 4/ folder and put it in a shared folder. I started windows 11 VM and un packed the .rar archive to a folder in the win 11 vm and then tried the same steps with robocopy in windows 11 and it copied folders without any issues and I viewed the same source folder and copied folders using everything 1366a and the date accessed was preserved. Could the culprit be an out of date version of robocopy on win 10 ?
void
Developer
Posts: 16450
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Everything incorrectly displaying timestamps

Post by void »

Some ideas...

Check if you have disabled date accessed on Windows 10/11:
fsutil behavior query DisableLastAccess


Force a rebuild in Everything (Tools -> Options -> NTFS -> volume -> Right click -> Reindex) to double check you have the correct date accessed information.
anmac1789
Posts: 627
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 1:16 pm

Re: Everything incorrectly displaying timestamps

Post by anmac1789 »

void wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2024 5:42 am Some ideas...

Check if you have disabled date accessed on Windows 10/11:
fsutil behavior query DisableLastAccess


Force a rebuild in Everything (Tools -> Options -> NTFS -> volume -> Right click -> Reindex) to double check you have the correct date accessed information.
Ive rebuilt the index and also set disablelastaccess =1 is this the value you have also ?
void
Developer
Posts: 16450
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Everything incorrectly displaying timestamps

Post by void »

Setting disablelastaccess to 1 will disable last accessed.

Leave DisableLastAccess set to 0 if you want date accessed information.



DisableLastAccess is 0 by default on Windows 10.
DisableLastAccess is 2 (System Managed, Last Access Time Updates ENABLED) by default on Windows 11.
anmac1789
Posts: 627
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 1:16 pm

Re: Everything incorrectly displaying timestamps

Post by anmac1789 »

void wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2024 5:59 am Setting disablelastaccess to 1 will disable last accessed.

Leave DisableLastAccess set to 0 if you want date accessed information.



DisableLastAccess is 0 by default on Windows 10.
DisableLastAccess is 2 (System Managed, Last Access Time Updates ENABLED) by default on Windows 11.
I've set it to 1 because it disables "last access updates"
void
Developer
Posts: 16450
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Everything incorrectly displaying timestamps

Post by void »

Everything 1.5.0.1367a will now use date modified timestamp as the date accessed timestamp when a file is modified.

While incorrect, it will make date accessed somewhat useful as there's no USN events when the date accessed timestamp changes.
anmac1789
Posts: 627
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 1:16 pm

Re: Everything incorrectly displaying timestamps

Post by anmac1789 »

void wrote: Thu Feb 08, 2024 7:17 am Everything 1.5.0.1367a will now use date modified timestamp as the date accessed timestamp when a file is modified.

While incorrect, it will make date accessed somewhat useful as there's no USN events when the date accessed timestamp changes.
lol you had me at "while incorrect..."

What are USN events ?
void
Developer
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Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Everything incorrectly displaying timestamps

Post by void »

I should add here, it's 'mostly' correct.

Modifying a file will set the date accessed timestamp to the modified time.
Everything will now correctly use the modified timestamp as the date accessed timestamp.
Everything will be 'mostly' correct now after modifying a file. (previously it would never be correct -mostly > never)



The only issue you might find is if you read a file, which will update the date accessed timestamp.
Everything will not know the date accessed timestamp changed.



Force a rebuild to see the correct date accessed timestamps.



USN events are logs created by your NTFS driver on your hard drive.

Everything reads these logs to work out what files have changed. (new files, renamed files, modified files, deleted files, etc...)
There's no log created for changing the date accessed timestamp.
void
Developer
Posts: 16450
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Everything incorrectly displaying timestamps

Post by void »

Everything 1.5.0.1371a fixes an issue where files were not using the date modified timestamp for date accessed.
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