Last Accessed file attribute

Thanks Tim, but it doesn't work for me - I run the program, select a file, am told that the access date has been changed to 2026 - but when I look at the file's properties through Explorer I see today's date.

I assume that the CloseHandle call is modifying the last accessed attribute.

Changed

m_Date = Format(Now, "DD-MM-YY")

to

m_Date = Format(Now, "DD-MM-YYYY")

As setting the date to today's date doesn't test whether the close is "touching" the file, I've modified the code above:

m_Date = Format(Now, "DD-MM-YY")

to

m_Date = Format(Now + 2, "DD-MM-YYYY")

After running the program I check the file's properties via explorer:

Created: 27 June 2002 (desired)
Modified: 27 June 2002 (desired)
Accessed: 25 June 2002 (not desired)

As SetFileTime is called thus:

   SetFileTime lngHandle, udtFileTime, udtFileTime, udtFileTime

(ie with the same time & date for all three attributes), I can only assume that the CloseHandle call is setting the Last Accessed attribute to the current time & date.

How can I close the handle without modifying the Last Accessed attribute?

OR

Is there another way of changing the a file's Last Accessed attribute which does not use CloseHandle?

Try this


Option Explicit

'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)
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 GetFileTime Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hFile As Long, lpCreationTime As FILETIME, lpLastAccessTime As FILETIME, lpLastWriteTime As FILETIME) As Long
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 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 Declare Function FileTimeToSystemTime Lib "kernel32" (lpFileTime As FILETIME, lpSystemTime As SYSTEMTIME) As Long
Private Declare Function FileTimeToLocalFileTime Lib "kernel32" (lpFileTime As FILETIME, lpLocalFileTime As FILETIME) As Long

Private Sub Command1_Click()
'KPD-Team 1998
   'URL: http://www.allapi.net/
   'KPDTeam@Allapi.net
   Dim lngHandle As Long
   Dim ft1 As FILETIME
   Dim ft2 As FILETIME
   Dim ft3 As FILETIME
   Dim ft4 As FILETIME
   Dim st1 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

    lngHandle = CreateFile(CDBox.FileName, GENERIC_WRITE, FILE_SHARE_READ Or FILE_SHARE_WRITE, ByVal 0&, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, 0)
    GetFileTime lngHandle, ft1, ft2, ft3
    'Convert the file time to the local file time
    FileTimeToLocalFileTime ft3, ft4
    'Convert the file time to system file time
    FileTimeToSystemTime ft4, st1
    MsgBox "The selected file was last modified on" + Str$(st1.wMonth) + "/" + LTrim(Str$(st1.wDay)) + "/" + LTrim(Str$(st1.wYear))
    'Close the file
    CloseHandle lngHandle
End Sub

EDDYKT,

Thanks, but your code reads the Last Modified attribute and displays it.

What I want to do is CHANGE the Last ACCESSED attribute to a given time & date (other than the current time and date) - e.g. yesterday's date.

I'm told that SetFileTime is the API call to make, research in MSDN shows that this needs a handle which must have at least GENERIC_WRITE access.

That is easy enough, and works. But afterwards I need to close the handle. Using CloseHandle sets the LastAccessed attribute to the current time and date.

I need another method of changing the Last Accessed attribute, or a method of closing a file handle which doesn't set the Last Accessed attribute.

To combined my code and Tim's code


Option Explicit

'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)
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 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 Declare Function GetFileTime Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hFile As Long, lpCreationTime As FILETIME, lpLastAccessTime As FILETIME, lpLastWriteTime As FILETIME) As Long
Private Declare Function FileTimeToSystemTime Lib "kernel32" (lpFileTime As FILETIME, lpSystemTime As SYSTEMTIME) As Long
Private Declare Function FileTimeToLocalFileTime Lib "kernel32" (lpFileTime As FILETIME, lpLocalFileTime 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 udtLocalTime As FILETIME
   Dim udtSystemTime As SYSTEMTIME
   m_Date = Format(DateAdd("d", -2, Now), "DD-MM-YYYY")

   '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

   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 file to get the filehandle
   lngHandle = CreateFile(CDBox.FileName, GENERIC_WRITE, FILE_SHARE_READ Or FILE_SHARE_WRITE, ByVal 0&, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, 0)
   ' change date/time property of the file
   SetFileTime lngHandle, udtFileTime, udtFileTime, udtFileTime
   ' close the handle
   CloseHandle lngHandle
   MsgBox "The date of the file '" + CDBox.FileName + "' has been changed to" + Str$(m_Date), vbInformation + vbOKOnly, App.Title
End Sub

Private Sub Command1_Click()
'KPD-Team 1998
  'URL: http://www.allapi.net/
  'KPDTeam@Allapi.net
  Dim lngHandle As Long
  Dim ft1 As FILETIME
  Dim ft2 As FILETIME
  Dim ft3 As FILETIME
  Dim ft4 As FILETIME
  Dim st1 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

   lngHandle = CreateFile(CDBox.FileName, GENERIC_WRITE, FILE_SHARE_READ Or FILE_SHARE_WRITE, ByVal 0&, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, 0)
   GetFileTime lngHandle, ft1, ft2, ft3
   'Convert the file time to the local file time
   FileTimeToLocalFileTime ft3, ft4
   'Convert the file time to system file time
   FileTimeToSystemTime ft4, st1
   MsgBox "The selected file was last modified on" + Str$(st1.wMonth) + "/" + LTrim(Str$(st1.wDay)) + "/" + LTrim(Str$(st1.wYear))
   'Close the file
   CloseHandle lngHandle
End Sub



You has set the date to
ie.

m_Date = Format(DateAdd("d", -2, Now), "DD-MM-YYYY")

2 days before current day

EDDYKT,

Your code is still reading LAST MODIFIED, I want LAST ACCESSED.

I've changed your code to that below (have changed only two lines, the text in the message box, and passing ft2 instead of ft3 to FileTimeToLocalFileTime).

Upon form load, the combined program modifies all three date properties, but the CloseHandle then modifies the last accessed attribute to the current time. The command button then displays a dialog box confirming that the last access was today.

I've also modified Form_Load so that Command1_Click is called just before and just after CloseHandle. This confirms that the Last Accessed date is changed to two days ago, but then changed to the current date by the CloseHandle.

------------------------------------
Modified code to read LAST ACCESSED
------------------------------------
Private Sub Command1_Click()
'KPD-Team 1998
 'URL: http://www.allapi.net/
 'KPDTeam@Allapi.net
 Dim lngHandle As Long
 Dim ft1 As FILETIME
 Dim ft2 As FILETIME
 Dim ft3 As FILETIME
 Dim ft4 As FILETIME
 Dim st1 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

  lngHandle = CreateFile(CDBox.FileName, GENERIC_WRITE, FILE_SHARE_READ Or FILE_SHARE_WRITE, ByVal 0&, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, 0)
  GetFileTime lngHandle, ft1, ft2, ft3
  'Convert the file time to the local file time
  FileTimeToLocalFileTime ft2, ft4
  'Convert the file time to system file time
  FileTimeToSystemTime ft4, st1
  MsgBox "The selected file was last accessed on" + Str$(st1.wMonth) + "/" + LTrim(Str$(st1.wDay)) + "/" + LTrim(Str$(st1.wYear))
  'Close the file
  CloseHandle lngHandle
End Sub

nedrub, sorry to say this, but I think that's how the last accessed property works.   You could set the system time/date first in code (caching the existing date/time in order to set it back after.)

It's a horrible kludge, but I think it is the only thing that will work.

Paul,

Yeah, that's where I started the post.

I just can't believe they bothered to include the last accessed attribute in the SetFileTime procedure if whatever you put in there gets clobbered by the CloseHandle that you have to have!

Try this

You need to add Microsoft scripting Runtime from your references

Option Explicit

Private Sub Command1_Click()
FileAttribute ("c:\temp")
End Sub
Private Sub FileAttribute(FileName)
    Dim fso
    Dim folder
    Dim Files1
    Dim File1
    Dim SubFolders
    Dim SubFolder
   
    On Error Resume Next
    If (Dir$(FileName, vbDirectory) = "") Then Exit Sub
    Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    Set folder = fso.GetFolder(FileName)
   
    Set SubFolders = folder.SubFolders
    If SubFolders.Count <> 0 Then
        For Each SubFolder In SubFolders
            FileAttribute (SubFolder)
        Next
    End If
   
    Set Files1 = folder.Files
    If Files1.Count <> 0 Then
        For Each File1 In Files1
            Debug.Print File1.Name, File1.DateLastAccessed
        Next
    End If
End Sub

Ah! Was running on a FAT32 partition. Tried it on another machine with NTFS 2000 and it works!

hearing...

Interesting. :)