Keep "Created" date

[dave80]

The "Created" date of my photos changes after editing Metadata or performing Lossless transformations when I have the Keep original date/time options deselected.
The Created date should not be changed.
The Modified date should be changed.

Platform: Windows 10.
XnView MP: 1.11.2

xnviewmp-date-time-bug.PNG

[jkm]

Are you editing files on a NAS?

I suggest you redo your testing, and if you still think it's true, be much more specific about exactly what conditions you are testing under and the steps you are taking.

This does not happen with 1.11.2 (with default ini file) when editing JPEGs using "Edit EXIF" or "Lossless Transformations" on a locally attached NTFS drive. Only Date Modified is changed.

[dave80]

Thank you jkm. I renamed my ini file to force XnView MP to create a new default ini file. The Created date/time does not change now but neither does the Modified date/time. I would like the Modified time to be updated.

I have tested this on a Windows 10 Home PC and a Windows 10 Home laptop. Both 64 bit. Neither updates the Modified date/time. Does your Modified date/time update?

[jkm]

Thank you jkm. I renamed my ini file to force XnView MP to create a new default ini file. The Created date/time does not change now but neither does the Modified date/time. I would like the Modified time to be updated.

And what settings were actually in place when you did your test?

I'm guessing this is because when you reset to the default ini file, you then neglected to check the settings before doing your test. The defaults are that "Loss Transformations" and "Embedded Metadata change" are both CHECKED under "Keep Original Date/time". This would, of course, have the effect of keeping your original modified date.

So, when using the default ini file, go into settings and set just those "keep original date/time" options appropriately. Then restart the app, verify the settings are still correct, and then do your test.

I have tested this on a Windows 10 Home PC and a Windows 10 Home laptop. Both 64 bit. Neither updates the Modified date/time. Does your Modified date/time update?

Yes, as I said in my original post.

You did not respond to my question about whether you're saving files to a NAS (network attached storage), and provided no additional specificity about the filesystem you're saving to (NTFS, FAT, exFAT, internal hard drive, USB stick, what?) or the exact steps you're taking when you test. You just repeated your Windows version, which you said in the first post. If you have any of those variations, conduct your test just with the files on a local NTFS drive, like your C drive.

As far as I can tell, the settings are working appropriately, and there is no need for any change here.

When you have redone your test, I expect you will see the same.

Now if the times are set appropriately when using the (correctly adjusted) default ini file, but they still are NOT correct when using your normal ini file, then check the settings in that file to verify they're set properly... It is possible that you some corruption, or that you have encountered some issue where one setting in the INI file is breaking another setting. That has happened before, so it's not impossible.

If your corrected testing indicates that's the case, you can provide your ini file to see if the problem can be reproduced.

[dave80]

I have done some more testing with my .ini file and a default .ini file. The results were the same for both .ini files.

All of my drives are NTFS.
None of the Keep original date/time options were selected.
Windows and XnViewMP are installed to my local internal C drive.
Usually my photos are kept and edited on my local internal D drive.

When I edit photos on my local C drive the modified date is updated, the created date is unchanged.
When I edit photos on my local D drive the modified date is updated, the created date also is updated.

[jkm]

When I edit photos on my local C drive the modified date is updated, the created date is unchanged.
When I edit photos on my local D drive the modified date is updated, the created date also is updated.

So you’re saying things work correctly on your C drive, but wrongly on your D drive.

The same operation alters only the modify date on C but alters the create date on D ?

What happens if you edit a text file with regular built in Windows Notepad on C vs D ?

What happens if you edit an image file with some other app, like Irfanview or Windows Paint, on C vs D ?

[dave80]

When I edit photos on my local C drive the modified date is updated, the created date is unchanged.
When I edit photos on my local D drive the modified date is updated, the created date also is updated.

So you’re saying things work correctly on your C drive, but wrongly on your D drive.

Yes.

The same operation alters only the modify date on C but alters the create date on D ?

Yes.

What happens if you edit a text file with regular built in Windows Notepad on C vs D ?

Not tried.

What happens if you edit an image file with some other app, like Irfanview or Windows Paint, on C vs D ?

I tried adding a keyword to a jpeg with Windows Explorer and with Exiftool, it works as expected on both C and D drive. The modified date is updated and the created date remains unchanged.

[dave80]

Should I report this as a bug?

[jkm]

Should I report this as a bug?

Let’s verify something first.

You're alleging something very peculiar, so you need to be very specific.

When I edit photos on my local C drive the modified date is updated, the created date is unchanged.
When I edit photos on my local D drive the modified date is updated, the created date also is updated.

"Edit" means exactly what here? There are different types of edits, and they have different effects.

Test only one thing at a time, to be sure of what's doing what. And say exactly what you're doing, instead of saying general things like "edit".

In XnViewMP:

Test 1: Rating
Change the rating of a jpeg file on C.
Change the rating of a jpeg file on D.
Nothing else.
Observe results.

Test 2: Lossless Operation
Do a lossless crop of a jpeg file on C. Save.
Do a lossless crop of a jpeg file on D. Save.
Nothing else.
Observe results.

It's informative if you get different results from these two tests.

[dave80]

Should I report this as a bug?

Let’s verify something first.

You're alleging something very peculiar, so you need to be very specific.

When I edit photos on my local C drive the modified date is updated, the created date is unchanged.
When I edit photos on my local D drive the modified date is updated, the created date also is updated.

"Edit" means exactly what here? There are different types of edits, and they have different effects.

Test only one thing at a time, to be sure of what's doing what. And say exactly what you're doing, instead of saying general things like "edit".

In XnViewMP:

Test 1: Rating
Change the rating of a jpeg file on C.
Change the rating of a jpeg file on D.
Nothing else.
Observe results.

Test 2: Lossless Operation
Do a lossless crop of a jpeg file on C. Save.
Do a lossless crop of a jpeg file on D. Save.
Nothing else.
Observe results.

It's informative if you get different results from these two tests.

Thank you. I don't know how to do a lossless crop so did a lossless rotate instead.
Here are the results.

star rating C - creation date unchanged
star rating D - creation date changed immediately

lossless rotate C - creation date unchanged
lossless rotate D - creation date changed after switching folder and back again or exiting and reopening XnView MP

[jkm]

star rating C - creation date unchanged
star rating D - creation date changed immediately

lossless rotate C - creation date unchanged
lossless rotate D - creation date changed after switching folder and back again or exiting and reopening XnView MP

I thought you were checking the dates in Windows Explorer, but with that exit/reopen business you must be looking at the dates in the app. The columns you want to check in Windows Explorer are "Date modified" and "Date Created".

Do the corresponding dates in Explorer agree? (with your results above)

[dave80]

I thought you were checking the dates in Windows Explorer, but with that exit/reopen business you must be looking at the dates in the app. The columns you want to check in Windows Explorer are "Date modified" and "Date Created".

Do the corresponding dates in Explorer agree? (with your results above)

Yes the dates and times agree in XnView Mp and Windows Explorer.

[jkm]

Then at this point I don't have any other suggestions other than to open a bug report. But I am not optimistic.

To fix it, Pierre will need to either reproduce it, or get detailed diagnostic logging to see what's happening.

I doubt he'll be able to reproduce it. If the information you've provided to me is all correct, I suspect it might be something idiosyncratic on your system. I can think of ways for this to happen, but you've ruled them all out. It certainly does not happen here.

He may need to send you a special diagnostic version with extra logging.

When you post your bug report, make clear that it is working correctly on the C drive and the problem only manifests on the D drive. That is central to it, and essential (so not like how this thread started ). I suggest you title it "Created date improperly modified on one local drive, but not the other". Also make sure you document the test results I had you do above. Remember to be very specific.

So a resolution is not guaranteed, I'm afraid... It's very odd. But I'm sure Pierre will have a stab at it. I'm sorry we couldn't get it figured out by normal means.

Good luck...

[dave80]

Thank you jkm. I tested this on another computer and got the same results. Given that you could not reproduce my findings I did some more tests. The computers I use have had the Pictures folder moved to the D drive using the Location feature of Windows (screenshot below) so I tried putting some photos into a normal folder on the root of D drive but I had the same problem with the times and dates of those. I will create a Bug report. Thanks again for your help.

location.PNG