Saving original Date Stamp during copying files/folders

Get help for specific problems
Posts: 1
Joined: 3 Apr 2019

istrid

I need to copy hundreds of files/folders from a volume to another saving the original date/time stamp of each files/folders.

I can't get the job done with standard MS Robocopy GUI and the COPY D A T options because of a Error 'Parameter is not valid" (apparently it cannot manage pathes containing sequence '--' ) For example:
C:\Users\John\Desktop\-- 2016 -- Links -URGENT-\

Is this a supported feature with FreeFileSync? If yes, which is the checkbox/options to choose, please?
Running the standard Options I am getting the destination folders with today date/time stamps, unfortunately.

Thank you.
Posts: 3
Joined: 18 Oct 2018

james78

Unfortunately it seems not to be supported. And this is the feature i have been hoping to see implemented for a very long time! For instance, i sometimes change the folder structure on my main drive for various things like audiobook library and such, and when using ffs to sync with my backup drives, this naturally then creates new copies of those folders and files, and thus i loose all timestamps. And those timestamps are very good indicators of if and when i changed a certain file or not.

That means that more often than i would wish i either do not use ffs to sync fiels at all and 1. either redoo all the folder renaming adjustments on all my backup drives to retain those original timestamps (very tedious), or 2. i do the robo copy thing.

This is the explanation that on how to use windows robocopy command that works for me;

https://www.petri.com/copy-files-preserve-timestamp

Do note, one has to be very specific with the formatting of the cmd lines, unfortunately i forgot what exactly i need to do to make it work. I guess i will find out next time i am need of doing it again. :)


So, i still hold out and hope this will be added as a native feature in ffs. The option to snyc files retaining the original time stamps!
User avatar
Posts: 2251
Joined: 22 Aug 2012

Plerry

Note, that FreeFileSync (FFS) does preserve dates when copying files (on file systems / via protocols that support it), but does not preserve dates when copying folders .
This behavior is identical to e.g. Windows Explorer.