Mysterious "Date" field in File Explorer

There are a bunch of "Date [Something]" headers that show up in Win11 File Explorer if activated in the Header Menu, as the image shows. Some of these dates can even be edited by exiftool or Mp3Tag or similar tools. However, the field "Date", which is active by default, does not seem to show up anywhere else, not even in Properties -> Details.

There is another field with a date in there called Media Created, but that is another date entirely and has its own header field.
Does anyone know what that first singular "Date" field is (shown in the image), where else it can be found, and what can batch edit it?

I have always seen it, and I have always taken it for granted, but now that I can't find it anywhere else, I got really curious.

Try to edit the "Date Modified" within those apps.

I have an app called Filo, I tried editing the "Date modified" in the app, applied it to a file, and the "Date" section changed to what I selected for "Date modified".

"Date modified" does not change "Date", I have tried. ...but thank you for the suggestion.

Thadson said:

Does anyone know what that first singular "Date" field is

Click to expand...

What is the Date column in Windows 7 explorer - Super User

It's not at all straightforward. See
Discussion and examples - MisterEd #22 - TenForums
@MisterEd


Denis

Try3 said:

What is the Date column in Windows 7 explorer - Super User


Denis

Click to expand...

Interesting! The bottom half of that topic clearly answers @Into_Oblivion1's favorite rambles about how NTFS timestamps work.

I ran some tests today. The answer depends on the content. I tested JPG files (with and without "Date taken" metadata), text files, and folders.

It appears that the primary purpose of the "Date" property is to show (as best as can be determined) when a photo was taken.

• For JPG files that have "Date taken" metadata, it always shows Date taken.
• For JPG files that have no "Date taken" metadata, it shows the older of "Date modified" and "Date created".
• For folders, it always shows the Date created date.
• For text files, it always shows the Date modified date.

Test results: