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Downloaded files lose their original creation date

Downloaded files lose their original creation date

atifozcelik
New member | Level 2
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When I download a file from my DropBox it automatically takes the current date as the 'creation' date; ie. it looses its original creation date; this is a very big problem. Is there anything we can do to restore the original dates?

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

Mark
Super User II
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Hey

The issue is that you are downloading from the website, so, in fact a new file is being made.

If you want to get everything with the original dates you need to download and install Dropbox on to your computer via www.dropbox.com/downloading. That will create a folder on your computer and download everything in your account to it. They will keep the original dates.

 


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6 Replies 6

Mark
Super User II
Go to solution
Hey

The issue is that you are downloading from the website, so, in fact a new file is being made.

If you want to get everything with the original dates you need to download and install Dropbox on to your computer via www.dropbox.com/downloading. That will create a folder on your computer and download everything in your account to it. They will keep the original dates.

 


:penguin::penguin: - :penguin: - :penguin: - :penguin:


Heart Did this post help you? If so please mark it for some Kudos below. 


:white_check_mark: Did this post fix your issue/answer your question? If so please press the 'Accept as Solution' button to help others find it.


:arrows_counterclockwise: Did this post not resolve your issue? If so please give us some more information so we can try and help - please remember we cannot see over your shoulder so be as descriptive as possible! 


 

danny_wap
New member | Level 2
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It is not true.  Dropbox changes the "Created" date to when the file is fetched from the cloud, also when using locally installed Dropbox-application.

So if you reinstall a computer, reinstall dropbox and synch. Then all your files will suddenly have "Created" date from when you performed the reainstallation of dropbox.

<( This is really sad as it corrups my fileinformation. All my original "Created" dates are gone with the wind.

Using: Windows 10 with Dropbox v63.4.100

samtastik
New member | Level 2
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I have the same problem.  My original creation dates (or "modified" date in dropbox) all changed to the upload date even when using the desktop app.  Fortunately I discovered the problem before uploading and locally deleting all of my precious files, but I have forever lost the dates on many files and for now I'm too scared to delete my remaining originals off my hard drive for fear of losing the metadata.  Kind of defeats the purpose of having dropbox.

samtastik
New member | Level 2
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Oh yeah, forgot to say using Mac OS.

Mejonkhan
New member | Level 2
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Yes

Flipsideguy
New member | Level 2
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I have the same issue. Even with syncing, all my videos have lost their original creation date. I have stored thousands of photos and videos of my children on my Dropbox. And it saddens me that I'll never know when a particular video was filmed. This is a dealbreaker for me, and I would tell everyone to not use Dropbox for storing memories.

 

[This thread is now closed by moderators due to inactivity. If you're experiencing a similar behavior, feel free to start a new discussion in the Dropbox Community here.]

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