PE6 file timestamp

cpedw

Senior Member
I just noticed that when I save a program file, the time stamp on the file (as shown in PE and File Explorer) is about 4h 50min earlier than the true time (and system time). The same time is put on the .settings file too.

The system is Windows 7. PE 6.0.9.3. I checked that saving a Word file gets the correct time.

Not exactly critical but puzzling.

Derek
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
It does seem rather peculiar. I don't recall any previous reports of such behaviour and it seems to be working as expected for me.

When a file is saved there doesn't seem to be any reason why PE6 would set the timestamp. Windows would be told to open or create the file, the data would be written to it and that's the end of it. Windows itself would provide the timestamp rather than PE6.

Could it be you are looking at a file other than the one you are actually saving, an earlier or backup copy ?

If you repeatedly save the file, does it stay fixed or does the timestamp update but always lag by the same amount. You may need to wait at least a minute between saves for a file timestamp to appear differently to what it had been in Explorer.

Pressing F5 or clicking View->Refresh should update the Explorer window should it be showing older, cached, information.

Added: You can also open your Word file, change the text and save that, check if its timestamp changes.

It might be worth checking View->Choose Details in Explorer to ensure it is showing Date Modified, not Date Created.
 
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cpedw

Senior Member
Could it be you are looking at a file other than the one you are actually saving, an earlier or backup copy ?
Fairly sure not. Now looking at some other older files; they seem to have times when I'm not at my best, like 05.30.
If you repeatedly save the file, does it stay fixed or does the timestamp update but always lag by the same amount. You may need to wait at least a minute between saves for a file timestamp to appear differently to what it had been in Explorer.
It seems to stay at about the same offset.
Pressing F5 or clicking View->Refresh should update the Explorer window should it be showing older, cached, information.
Checked that. It's not the problem.
You can also open your Word file, change the text and save that, check if its timestamp changes.
That seems to work correctly.
It might be worth checking View->Choose Details in Explorer to ensure it is showing Date Modified, not Date Created.
Yes, checked that it's Date Modified.

Might it be significant that I'm using a NAS drive for file storage? Seems unlikely; the Word file mentioned is also on the NAS drive.

Derek
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
Might it be significant that I'm using a NAS drive for file storage? Seems unlikely; the Word file mentioned is also on the NAS drive.
That could be the explanation though I would be at a loss to explain why or why it seems to affect files saved by PE6 but not Word. Maybe try files saved by NotePad and other applications to see if there is anything which would reveal why there may be a difference.

From PE6's perspective saving is the same no matter where the saving is to; it simply creates the file, writes data, closes the file and that's it. Anything beyond that would be a matter for Windows, its drivers, and the NAS itself.

You might be able to connect to the NAS using some other computer or through a command shell and see what the NAS itself shows as timestamps to see if there is consistency with what Windows shows. I am not sure how one would go about determining why the problem you see occurs.

There are plenty of threads on Google about incorrect NAS timestamps so one of those may provide an explanation or the cure. If you can say which make and model of NAS you have others may be able say whether they have experienced the same issue or not.
 
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