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John64's avatar
John64
Explorer | Level 4
6 years ago

Preserving time-date stamps

When I download a file from my dropbox account, it gets a new time-date stamp. When I download a folder and extract the zipped folder, all the files get new time-date stamps. It's important for me to...
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  • Jay's avatar
    Jay
    6 years ago
    Hi John, when you’re downloading the files from the website, indeed with any site, the ‘date modified’ or ‘date created’ will be for that moment, since the file didn’t exist before that period.
     
    If you’re using the Dropbox desktop application, then when the files sync down to your machine the dates and times will remain as they were, though the date modified would be the last time someone has edited the files.
     
    Hope this helps to clarify matters!
Jay's avatar
Jay
Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
6 years ago
Hi John, when you’re downloading the files from the website, indeed with any site, the ‘date modified’ or ‘date created’ will be for that moment, since the file didn’t exist before that period.
 
If you’re using the Dropbox desktop application, then when the files sync down to your machine the dates and times will remain as they were, though the date modified would be the last time someone has edited the files.
 
Hope this helps to clarify matters!
  • mensa0505's avatar
    mensa0505
    New member | Level 2
    3 years ago
    How do I do this with my iphone? I am trying to download or "move" my dropbox pictures to my iphone but when I do, it gives it a new timestamp. I had downloaded 7 pictures and they did download with the original timestamp and now, it is not doing that. Why would it change?
  • jaresing's avatar
    jaresing
    Helpful | Level 6
    6 years ago

    That is sooooo upsetting. So I drag a folder into dropbox and the modified time is now! I then down load it five minutes from now and the modified time is also five minute from now. Is this true? Seems like it. Sorry, that is messed up. I wish I could stay, but that will never ever do.

    • Jay's avatar
      Jay
      Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
      6 years ago
      If you’re dragging a folder onto the Dropbox site, then technically you are creating those files online for the first time, hence the modification date would be now.
       
      If instead you moved the folder into the Dropbox folder, assuming you have the Dropbox desktop application installed, you’ll keep the original dates, like I mentioned above.
      • jaresing's avatar
        jaresing
        Helpful | Level 6
        6 years ago

        "technically you are creating those files online for the first time,"

        This is such a nonsense answer. It would be a side splitter if it weren't such a frustrating, untrue answer.  When I copy a file onto a memory stick or an exernal hard drive it manages to keep the date modified.  When I copy files from dropbox onto my computer it gets the date modified correct too. So why can't up load to dropbox and keep the correct modified dates....and no, don't tell me they that they are being created for the first time.

        I feel sorry for all those people who upload their picuters only to find that they now all have a date modified as today. What a blessed joke.

  • Heenanmeister's avatar
    Heenanmeister
    New member | Level 2
    5 years ago

    Thanks, works for me.

     

    • Jazzee's avatar
      Jazzee
      Helpful | Level 6
      5 years ago

      For the record, we use both Dropbox and Google Drive and we use the web interface.  Google preserves the original file date and time and displays it as such.  Also, any FTP program for file transfer to an FTP or Webserver preserves the date and time.  Dropbox is in the minority as far as it not reading the file date and time and preserving it when you upload to Dropbox.

       

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