When setting up a directory for automatic backups, developing software, or performing other administrative tasks, it might prove useful to be able to modify a file's access, creation, and or modification date / time. One option to handle this is "File Touch" from WinTestGear, accessible via the Windows GUI or DOS command prompt.

The software comes in a .ZIP archive containing one file - FileTouch.exe. If you wish to use this in batch files you may find it easier to unzip the archive into C:\Windows or another directory in your system or user path.

Running the software from the Windows GUI displays the following window:

From here you can select files or whole subdirectories to modify. Then select the new date and time and choose whether to modify the files' creation, modification, and/or access date/times.

To run File Touch from the DOS prompt, display a list of options with the following command:

filetouch -?

For example, the following command modifies the file test.txt, giving it access, creation, and modification dates of January 1, 2008:

filetouch test.txt 1/1/2008 -cma

NOTE that from the command line in some situations you might have to press Enter after FileTouch complete appears. When placed in a batch file this does not seem to be required.

File Touch can be downloaded from the following address:

* File Touch - WinTestGear: http://www.wintestgear.com/products/FileTouch/FileTouch.html

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