Change the Modification and Creation dates of a file - Sonoma 2024

Question

Level 1

4 points

Change the Modification and Creation dates of a file - Sonoma 2024

People seem to have a lot of trouble in the past changing these dates, but I've successfully used the base level touch -t in Terminal:

To change the creation date of a file in terminal paste in the below: (that will make the date 2001, january 15, 11:50pm - change it to the date you want - format is YYYYMMDDhhmm)

touch -t 200101152350

make sure there is a space after the last digit (this is where most people fail, inclucing myself until I realized it was missing.)

then drag the file into the terminal window so it populates it with the file path, then press return and it should work. Text should look like this before you press return:

touch -t 200101152350 /Users/g/Desktop/IMG_4074.jpg

After pressing return, get info on the file and it should look like this

Mac Studio, 14.5

Posted on Jul 28, 2024 4:21 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Jul 29, 2024 12:29 AM in response to G-manNYC

With touch the file creation date moves together with modification date but only backwards in time.

setfile can move both independently ("setfile" is included in Xcode Command Line Tools install):

setfile -h

setfile -d '01/15/2000 23:50:11' -m '01/15/1999 23:50:11' a.jpg

Reply

Answer 2

Aug 6, 2024 11:32 PM in response to G-manNYC

"Content Created" is ExifIFD:DateTimeOriginal internal metadata i.e. when the photo was taken.

Finder.app > View > Show Preview display this as "Content Created" and Preview.app > Tools > Show Inspector > Exif as "Date Time Original". I wish Apple used the same "Date Time Original" for this tag also in Finder.

In exiftool the internal metadata dates AND file system dates can be checked with something like:

exiftool -a -G1 -s -fileOrder5 FileName -api LargeFileSupport=1 -api QuickTimeUTC=1 -Time:All -api RequestAll=2 .

See also:

Movie dates and Photos.app - Apple Community

Reply

Answer 3

G-manNYC Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 29, 2024 3:40 PM in response to Matti Haveri

Thanks Matti !!!, definitely setfile gives more options and is a good solution: I didn't include that because most people asking seem to have the issue of needing to revert the dates to the original file when they copy to a new location. I know you can go in and get it to find those original dates in the metadata and make an automation to apply, but I just wanted to offer a simple solution for people not used to terminal etc. I use this method a lot because I want both dates to change and only ever run into changing into prior dates, with my workflow.

Reply

Answer 4

Jul 29, 2024 10:55 PM in response to G-manNYC

I know you can go in and get it to find those original dates in the metadata and make an automation to apply

Yes, I routinely use GraphicConverter to copy metadata dates to file names and file creation & modification dates or vice versa. Then it is easier to spot errors in dates and, if needed, copy the correct date from any of those dates.

Reply

Answer 5

G-manNYC Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 6, 2024 10:20 PM in response to Matti Haveri

How can I change the Content Created date? Doesn't seem to be an attribute in setfile... only became an issue when I updated my phone to the new os and the files that have the changed creation date and modification date are now reading the content creation date instead and no longer behaving as I had them

Reply