FileSystemInfo.LastAccessTime Property

Reference

Definition

Namespace:: System.IO

Assemblies:: mscorlib.dll, System.IO.FileSystem.dll

Assemblies:: netstandard.dll, System.Runtime.dll

Assemblies:: netstandard.dll, System.IO.FileSystem.dll

Assemblies:: netstandard.dll, System.IO.FileSystem.dll, System.Runtime.dll

Assembly:: System.IO.FileSystem.dll

Assembly:: mscorlib.dll

Assembly:: netstandard.dll

Source:: FileSystemInfo.cs

Source:: FileSystemInfo.cs

Source:: FileSystemInfo.cs

Important

Some information relates to prerelease product that may be substantially modified before it’s released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.

Gets or sets the time the current file or directory was last accessed.

public:
 property DateTime LastAccessTime { DateTime get(); void set(DateTime value); };

public DateTime LastAccessTime { get; set; }

member this.LastAccessTime : DateTime with get, set

Public Property LastAccessTime As DateTime

Property Value

DateTime

The time that the current file or directory was last accessed.

Exceptions

IOException

Refresh() cannot initialize the data.

PlatformNotSupportedException

The current operating system is not Windows NT or later.

ArgumentOutOfRangeException

The caller attempts to set an invalid access time

Examples

The following code example demonstrates the updating of the LastAccessTime property through a "touch" operation. In this example, the file is "touched", updating the CreationTime, LastAccessTime and LastWriteTime properties to the current date and time.

using System;
using System.IO;

namespace touch
{
    class Touch
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Make sure a filename was provided.
            if (args.Length > 0)
            {
                // Verify that the provided filename exists.
                if (File.Exists(args[0]))
                {
                    FileInfo fi = new FileInfo(args[0]);
                    touchFile(fi);
                }
                else
                {
                    Console.WriteLine(
                        "Could not find the file: {0}.", args[0]);
                }
            }
            else
            {
                Console.WriteLine("No file was specified.");
            }
        }

        static void touchFile(FileSystemInfo fsi)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Touching: {0}", fsi.FullName);

            // Update the CreationTime, LastWriteTime and LastAccessTime.
            try
            {
                fsi.CreationTime = fsi.LastWriteTime = fsi.LastAccessTime =
                    DateTime.Now;
            }
            catch (Exception e)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Error: {0}", e.Message);
            }
        }
    }
}

Imports System.IO

Public Class Touch
    Public Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

        ' Make sure an argument (filename) was provided.
        If args.Length > 0 Then

            ' Verify that the provided filename exists.
            If File.Exists(args(0)) Then
                Dim fi As FileInfo = New FileInfo(args(0))
                touchFile(fi)
            Else
                Console.WriteLine("Could not find the file {0}", args(0))
            End If
        Else
            Console.WriteLine("No file specified.")
        End If
    End Sub

    Public Shared Sub touchFile(ByVal fsi As FileSystemInfo)
        Console.WriteLine("Touching: {0}", fsi.FullName)

        ' Update the CreationTime, LastWriteTime and LastAccessTime.
        Try
            fsi.CreationTime = DateTime.Now
            fsi.LastAccessTime = DateTime.Now
            fsi.LastWriteTime = DateTime.Now
        Catch e As Exception
            Console.WriteLine("Error: {0}", e.Message)
        End Try

    End Sub

End Class

Remarks

Note

This method may return an inaccurate value because it uses native functions whose values may not be continuously updated by the operating system.

If the file described in the FileSystemInfo object does not exist, this property returns 12:00 midnight, January 1, 1601 A.D. (C.E.) Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), adjusted to local time.

The value of the LastAccessTimeUtc property is pre-cached if the current instance of the FileSystemInfo object was returned from any of the following DirectoryInfo methods:

To get the latest value, call the Refresh method.

Applies to

Product	Versions
.NET	Core 1.0, Core 1.1, Core 2.0, Core 2.1, Core 2.2, Core 3.0, Core 3.1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
.NET Framework	1.1, 2.0, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.6, 4.6.1, 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2, 4.8, 4.8.1
.NET Standard	1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 2.0, 2.1
UWP	10.0

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