Solved File creation dates are changed when accessing shared folder over local network

I have a folder containing photos on a windows 11 PC on a home network. The creation date of each file is the date when the photo was taken. The folder containing the photos is a windows shared folder. I want to be able to access the shared folder of photos from other windows PCs on my home network.

When I access the files from another PC, the creation dates have been set to the current date. This is what windows does when copying files. I know I can make copies with original creation dates using robocopy or a zipped folder, but I want to keep the folder on my main PC, not make copies on other PCs.

How do I preserve the creation dates when I access the shared folder over the network?

arn said:

I have a folder containing photos on a windows 11 PC on a home network. The creation date of each file is the date when the photo was taken. The folder containing the photos is a windows shared folder. I want to be able to access the shared folder of photos from other windows PCs on my home network.

When I access the files from another PC, the creation dates have been set to the current date. This is what windows does when copying files. I know I can make copies with original creation dates using robocopy or a zipped folder, but I want to keep the folder on my main PC, not make copies on other PCs.

How do I preserve the creation dates when I access the shared folder over the network?

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Can you post some screenshots?

Each time you connect to the share, does the "Date created" change to the current date or is the "Date created" the date and time the share was set up?

When I get a chance, I'll try checking a share using Windows 11. I've already checked on Windows 10 and don't see an issue there.

BTW, for photos, there is also the "Date taken" property which is part of the file's metadata.

LesFerch said:

BTW, for photos, there is also the "Date taken" property which is part of the file's metadata.

Click to expand...

Thanks. That explains it.

These files were scans of slides. When you scanned the photo, the scanning software let you include the date. I wanted to use this date so I could sort them in the correct order in windows explorer. When I look at the properties of one of the files, the date I'd entered went in the metadata in the "Date taken" field for the file. The date when I scanned the file went in the "Date created" field. I was wrong when I said the creation date was when the photo was taken.

When I viewed the shared folder on another PC in explorer, the column that was being displayed was "Date created". When I displayed the "Date" or Date taken" columns, the date I wanted was displayed.

My confusion was due to sorting by different columns on the different PCs.