SetFileTime function (fileapi.h)

Article
08/30/2022

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

Syntax

BOOL SetFileTime(
  [in]           HANDLE         hFile,
  [in, optional] const FILETIME *lpCreationTime,
  [in, optional] const FILETIME *lpLastAccessTime,
  [in, optional] const FILETIME *lpLastWriteTime
);

Parameters

[in] 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.

[in, optional] lpCreationTime

A pointer to a FILETIME structure that contains the new creation date and time for the file or directory. If the application does not need to change this information, set this parameter either to NULL or to a pointer to a FILETIME structure that has both the dwLowDateTime and dwHighDateTime members set to 0.

[in, optional] 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. If the application does not need to change this information, set this parameter either to NULL or to a pointer to a FILETIME structure that has both the dwLowDateTime and dwHighDateTime members set to 0.

To prevent file operations using the given handle from modifying the last access time, call SetFileTime immediately after opening the file handle and pass a FILETIME structure that has both the dwLowDateTime and dwHighDateTime members set to 0xFFFFFFFF.

[in, optional] lpLastWriteTime

A pointer to a FILETIME structure that contains the new last modified date and time for the file or directory. If the application does not need to change this information, set this parameter either to NULL or to a pointer to a FILETIME structure that has both the dwLowDateTime and dwHighDateTime members set to 0.

To prevent file operations using the given handle from modifying the last write time, call SetFileTime immediately after opening the file handle and pass a FILETIME structure that has both the dwLowDateTime and dwHighDateTime members set to 0xFFFFFFFF.

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.

Examples

For an example, see Changing a File Time to the Current Time.

Requirements

Requirement	Value
Minimum supported client	Windows XP [desktop apps \| UWP apps]
Minimum supported server	Windows Server 2003 [desktop apps \| UWP apps]
Target Platform	Windows
Header	fileapi.h (include Windows.h)
Library	Kernel32.lib
DLL	Kernel32.dll