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 SetFileTime

Sets the date and time that the specified file or directory was created, last accessed, or last modified.

Syntax

    BOOL WINAPI SetFileTime(
      __in      HANDLE hFile,
      __in_opt  const FILETIME* lpCreationTime,
      __in_opt  const FILETIME* lpLastAccessTime,
      __in_opt  const FILETIME* lpLastWriteTime
    );

Parameters

• hFile
  A handle to the file or directory. The handle must have been created using the CreateFile function with the FILE_WRITE_ATTRIBUTES access right. For more information, see File Security and Access Rights.
• lpCreationTime
  A pointer to a FILETIME structure that contains the new creation date and time for the file or directory. This parameter can be NULL if the application does not need to change this information.
• lpLastAccessTime
  A pointer to a FILETIME structure that contains the new last access date and time for the file or directory. The last access time includes the last time the file or directory was written to, read from, or (in the case of executable files) run. This parameter can be NULL if the application does not need to change this information. To preserve the existing last access time for a file even after accessing a file, call SetFileTime with this parameter set to -1 before closing the file handle.
• lpLastWriteTime
  A pointer to a FILETIME structure that contains the new last modified date and time for the file or directory. This parameter can be NULL if the application does not need to change this information.

Return Value

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks

Not all file systems can record creation and last access times and not all file systems record them in the same manner. For example, on FAT, create time has a resolution of 10 milliseconds, write time has a resolution of 2 seconds, and access time has a resolution of 1 day (really, the access date). Therefore, the GetFileTime function may not return the same file time information set using SetFileTime. NTFS delays updates to the last access time for a file by up to one hour after the last access.

Requirements

• Client Requires Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows 2000 Professional.
• Server Requires Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, or Windows 2000 Server.
• Header Declared in Winbase.h; include Windows.h.
• Library Use Kernel32.lib.
• DLL Requires Kernel32.dll.

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Notebook exported on Monday, 7 July 2008, 18:56:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time