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Forum Discussion
Refuses to preserve correct creation date
I have tried to upload files without losing the original creation date on this main account(which I have a 2TB subscription on), and on a new non-subscription account that I created on a device I’ve ...
I also have the same problem with the original 'creation date' being changed to the date the file was uploaded to dropbox. I've read other forums where people complain about the dates changing when downloading the file(s) from DB onto their device, but I also experience this when uploading to DB from my phone.
I tried uploading a file from a desktop computer and the date the doesn't change, but always changes when uploading from a mobile device.
There have been no updates--how does one upload files to from a device to a specific folder on Dropbox and maintain the original creation date? Certainly I can do this if I use an external hard drive for example. As we speak, I am cleaning up my Mac and realizing that I can't sort by date because they are all dated now.
Thanks
- Mark
Super User II
Ariel S.1 wrote:
There have been no updates--how does one upload files to from a device to a specific folder on Dropbox and maintain the original creation date? Certainly I can do this if I use an external hard drive for example. As we speak, I am cleaning up my Mac and realizing that I can't sort by date because they are all dated now.
Thanks
Have you had a look at https://help.dropbox.com/organize/modified-date ?
Thank you and to try and help the next person (because this seems important enough and I spent so much time trying find an existing thread)...the end answer is that one MUST use the Dropbox Computer based app to upload files as opposed to what I had been doing which was when "cleaning' laptop---I would open a browser window and drag the files over in chunks and then delete them from laptop as I went.
Thanks!
- ORIGINAL POSTER HERE BTW,
I just read that article and it clearly is referring to MODIFICATION DATES. A file should be able to have its CREATION DATE that doesn’t get “modified” preserved.
I don’t have a computer. Financial situation is tough and I’m lucky to have a phone. Many people also have only a phone… not a personal computer as well.
The app doesn’t even HAVE an option to view a file’s CREATION DATE. And only photos are given the option to view the “modified date”… which btw, is NOT an actual working substitute for the “Creation Date”. I would MUCH rather have the option to view/sort by/etc my files’ CREATION DATE than their modified date.
The modified date changes if I simply reorganize my files into folders that are more appropriate because they are usually uploaded into various temporary folders that I eventually will have to go sort them out of to put them into folders that are more appropriate and easier to browse through. This of course causes even MORE headaches because the file dates(& i very specifically mean CREATION DATES) get more and more screwed up.
This should be extremely easy to fix. Add an option to view/sort by/etc the actual CREATION date of the files. Modification dates are completely useless for me. I don’t mind them being there, but I do mind them being there as a “substitute” for the original creation date… which is the most important piece of metadata for almost everyone who uses cloud backup storage.
Especially when having a 2TB plan that means a TON of my important files will be in there needing a way to view and sort by their original creation dates.
Btw, I’m using safari browser instead of the built in browser on the app and I still don’t see an option to attach pics. But a pic isn’t actually even necessary. Anyone can open the app and verify that there’s no option for viewing a file’s creation date. There’s no date option AT ALL for documents, audio, etc… only for pictures… & that’s just a modified date.
