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

Jay - thank you - that's very helpful.  I did a test with the Dropbox desktop app.  I did selective sync on a folder - unchecked it.  It disappeared from the dropbox folder on my computer.  Then I went back to selective sync and checked it.  It came back to my dropbox folder and each file had the original time-date stamp.  Problem solved - thank you.  Now I want to do this with all my folders because my hard drive is nearly full.  I'll get a new laptop and sync all the folders to the new laptop.  Just to be clear - this is the correct process for moving all of my folders through Dropbox to the new laptop while preserving original time-date stamps on the files.  Is that correct?

  • Jay's avatar
    Jay
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    6 years ago
    That’s correct, though technically you’re not moving the files to the new laptop, but simply adding another device to sync your account to!
     
    Since it is a new link, the Dropbox desktop application will sync the files down to that machine, just like they did with your current machine, with the timestamps as listed on the site.
     
    Since I assume you’re going to stop using the old laptop, make sure to unlink it from the desktop app to prevent any accidental deletions from your account, if you intend to format or sell it later and delete the files from the machine.
     
    Glad to hear that the solution worked for you, John!
  • robnyland's avatar
    robnyland
    New member | Level 2
    2 years ago

    This doesnt work for me—with folders, the date shown is the date it synced to the computer, not the date it was last used .   This messes up the whole "recently used" at top order that I rely on. It drives me insane. I get a new laptop and sync w deskptop app and all tjhe folders that sync to new computer have that day. Inside the contents ahev their last used date but th fodlers are all the same date. It's insane, everyone hates it and I dont know why they cant fix it. is there a workaround? I want my folders to stay with last used/opened date. Even on new Mac.

    • jaresing's avatar
      jaresing
      Helpful | Level 6
      2 years ago

      Welcome to the big dropbox problem.

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