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nedrub

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File migration

I need to copy files from one W2K server to another.

Problem is, I need to do it without modifying the DateLastAccessed property.

How can I do this?

I've tried copying the file from DOS, and dragging and droping via the interface - no dice (moving the files from one location on a drive to another was OK, but moving to another drive was not).

I've also tried writing a VB program, thinking I'd be able to modify the property - through the FileSytemObject the property is read-only.

HELP!
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Les Moore
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try using ntbackup, copy type backup...

Open the help file and search for ntbackup
for details
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nedrub

ASKER

Thanks Irmoore . . .

It works, but . . .

If I'm migrating files from \\PC1\sharename the files last accessed property is updated.

If I'm migrating files from D:\stuff\sharedDir (on PC1) the files last accessed property is not updated, but when I restore to PC2 I get the files in the E:\stuff\sharedDir directory (I want them in E:\sharedDir).

I have tried backing up files from \\PC1\sharename from PC1 - no surprise that results were as above.
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ASKER

Thanks Irmoore . . .

It works, but . . .

If I'm migrating files from \\PC1\sharename the files last accessed property is updated.

If I'm migrating files from D:\stuff\sharedDir (on PC1) the files last accessed property is not updated, but when I restore to PC2 I get the files in the E:\stuff\sharedDir directory (I want them in E:\sharedDir).

I have tried backing up files from \\PC1\sharename from PC1 - no surprise that results were as above.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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vinnyd79

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ASKER

Thanks, vinnyd79

I feel like I'm getting somewhere now.

Your post led me to do a search for SetFileTime on google, which led me to:

http://www.allapi.net/apilist/apifunction.php?apifunction=SetFileTime

(which has code for setting create, modify, and access time of a file to the current system time)

I've butchered it a bit and it works, sort of . . .

I've got plenty of msgboxes in there to keep track of what is going on:

MSGBOX 1: date of last access of source file
MSGBOX 2: date of last access of destination file after copy
MSGBOX 3: date of last access of destination file after SetFileDate
MSGBOX 4: date of last access of destination file after CloseFile

The date is what I want at MSGBOX 3, but the close "touches" the file and the date is set to the system time.

Help!!

My code:

'=============================================
'This project needs a Common Dialog box, named CDBox.
' (To add the Common Dialog Box to your tools menu, go to Project->Components (or press CTRL-T)
' and select Microsoft Common Dialog control)

Dim fso As New FileSystemObject

Private Type FILETIME
    dwLowDateTime As Long
    dwHighDateTime As Long
End Type
    Private Type SYSTEMTIME
    wYear As Integer
    wMonth As Integer
    wDayOfWeek As Integer
    wDay As Integer
    wHour As Integer
    wMinute As Integer
    wSecond As Integer
    wMilliseconds As Integer
End Type
Private Const GENERIC_WRITE = &H40000000
Private Const OPEN_EXISTING = 3
Private Const FILE_SHARE_READ = &H1
Private Const FILE_SHARE_WRITE = &H2
Private Declare Function CreateFile Lib "kernel32"  Alias "CreateFileA" (ByVal lpFileName As String, ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Long, ByVal dwShareMode As Long, ByVal lpSecurityAttributes As Long, ByVal dwCreationDisposition As Long, ByVal dwFlagsAndAttributes As Long, ByVal hTemplateFile As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetFileTime Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hFile As Long, lpCreationTime As FILETIME, lpLastAccessTime As FILETIME, lpLastWriteTime As FILETIME) As Long
Private Declare Function SetFileTime Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hFile As Long, lpCreationTime As FILETIME, lpLastAccessTime As FILETIME, lpLastWriteTime As FILETIME) As Long
Private Declare Function SystemTimeToFileTime Lib "kernel32" (lpSystemTime As SYSTEMTIME, lpFileTime As FILETIME) As Long
Private Declare Function CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hObject As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function LocalFileTimeToFileTime Lib "kernel32" (lpLocalFileTime As FILETIME, lpFileTime As FILETIME) As Long
Private Sub Form_Load()
    'KPD-Team 1998
    'URL: http://www.allapi.net/
    'KPDTeam@Allapi.net
    Dim m_Date As Date, lngHandle As Long
    Dim udtFileTime As FILETIME
    Dim udtCreateTime As FILETIME
    Dim udtLastWriteTime As FILETIME
    Dim udtLocalTime As FILETIME
    Dim udtDummyTime As FILETIME
    Dim udtSystemTime As SYSTEMTIME

    'Set the dialog's title
    CDBox.DialogTitle = "Choose a file ..."
    'Set the dialog's filter
    CDBox.Filter = "All Files (*.*)|*.*"
    'Show the 'Open File'-dialog
    CDBox.ShowOpen
   
MsgBox "1 (source before copy): " & fso.GetFile(CDBox.FileName).DateLastAccessed
   
    m_Date = fso.GetFile(CDBox.FileName).DateLastAccessed
   
    udtSystemTime.wYear = Year(m_Date)
    udtSystemTime.wMonth = Month(m_Date)
    udtSystemTime.wDay = Day(m_Date)
    udtSystemTime.wDayOfWeek = Weekday(m_Date) - 1
    udtSystemTime.wHour = Hour(m_Date)
    udtSystemTime.wMinute = Minute(m_Date)
    udtSystemTime.wSecond = Second(m_Date)
    udtSystemTime.wMilliseconds = 0

    ' convert system time to local time
    SystemTimeToFileTime udtSystemTime, udtLocalTime
    ' convert local time to GMT
    LocalFileTimeToFileTime udtLocalTime, udtFileTime
   
    ' open the source file to get the filehandle
    lngHandle = CreateFile(CDBox.FileName, GENERIC_WRITE, FILE_SHARE_READ Or FILE_SHARE_WRITE, ByVal 0&, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, 0)
    GetFileTime lngHandle, udtCreateTime, udtDummyTime, udtLastWriteTime
    CloseHandle lngHandle
   
    'copy the file (will need some smarts here!)
    fso.CopyFile CDBox.FileName, "C:\test.tst"
   
MsgBox "2 (destination after copy): " & fso.GetFile("c:\test.tst").DateLastAccessed
   
    'open the destination file to get the filehandle
    lngHandle = CreateFile("C:\test.tst", GENERIC_WRITE, FILE_SHARE_READ Or FILE_SHARE_WRITE, ByVal 0&, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, 0)
   
    ' change date/time property of the file
    SetFileTime lngHandle, udtCreateTime, udtFileTime, udtLastWriteTime

MsgBox "3 (destination after SetFileTime): " & fso.GetFile("c:\test.tst").DateLastAccessed
   
    ' close the handle
    CloseHandle lngHandle

MsgBox "3 (destination after close): " & fso.GetFile("c:\test.tst").DateLastAccessed

End Sub
 


 



use Xcopy! from dos
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ASKER

Sorry for delay, wasn't working for me until I tried (a similar program) on a server with NTFS 2000 partitions (I was running on a FAT32 partition).