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Forum Discussion
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 preserve the original time-date stamps. How can I retrieve my files and folders with the original time-date information they had when I uploaded them to Dropbox? Using Windows 7.
- Jay
Dropbox Staff
- 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?
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
Thanks, works for me.
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.
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
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.
Welcome to the big dropbox problem.
