How to Fix Windows 11 File Explorer Showing Incorrect File Dates or Timestamps After Moving Files Between Drives

Windows KB-1115

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to Fix Windows 11 File Explorer Showing Incorrect File Dates or Timestamps After Moving Files Between Drives. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

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Common Causes

When you move files between different drives in Windows 11, you may notice that the creation date, modification date, or both appear incorrect in File Explorer. This usually happens because different file systems handle timestamps differently, or because Windows resets the creation date to reflect when the file was copied to the new location rather than when it was originally created.

Quick Fix Steps

Check the file properties to confirm which timestamp is incorrect.
Verify that your system date and time are set correctly.
Check if the destination drive uses a different file system (for example, NTFS versus exFAT).
Restore dates from a backup if the original timestamps are critical.

Detailed Instructions

Check File Properties

Open File Explorer and navigate to the affected file or folder.
Right-click the item and select Properties.
Review the Created, Modified, and Accessed dates listed on the General tab.
Select Details to view additional metadata, including the date the file was last saved by the application.

Verify System Date and Time

Select Start, then choose Settings.
Go to Time & language > Date & time.
Ensure Set time automatically is switched On.
Confirm the Time zone is set to your correct location.
Select Sync now under Additional settings to update your clock immediately.

If your computer's CMOS battery is failing, the system clock may reset whenever the PC is unplugged or shut down. Replace the battery if the date and time keep reverting to an earlier year.

Understand File System Behaviour

Windows handles timestamps differently depending on the file system:

NTFS to NTFS: Creation and modification dates are usually preserved when moving within the same volume.
NTFS to exFAT or FAT32: Creation dates may not be preserved, and modification dates can shift depending on how the destination drive records time.
External drives: Safely remove the device before disconnecting to ensure all metadata is written correctly.

Copy Instead of Move to Preserve Dates

Select the files you want to transfer.
Press Ctrl + C to copy them.
Navigate to the destination drive.
Press Ctrl + V to paste the files.
Verify the timestamps in Properties before deleting the originals.

Moving files across different volumes often resets the creation date to the current date and time. If original creation dates are important for legal or compliance reasons, use third-party copying tools designed to preserve timestamps, and verify the timestamps before removing the source files.

Troubleshooting

Timestamps Still Incorrect After Verifying Settings

Open Command Prompt as administrator and run sfc /scannow to check for corrupted system files that may affect File Explorer.
Restart Windows Explorer via Task Manager to refresh the File Explorer view.
Check whether the issue affects all files or only specific file types. Some applications write their own timestamps into file metadata that differ from the file system dates.

Restore Original Dates from Backup

If you have a backup of the files before they were moved, restore them from the backup to recover the original creation and modification dates. Windows File History or third-party backup software typically preserves timestamps during restoration.

Open a Support Ticket

If file dates remain incorrect after following these steps, or if you need assistance recovering original timestamps from a backup, Open a Ticket with 220 Internet Services support.

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Still Having Issues?

Need more help? If the issue persists after trying these steps, please open a support ticket and our team will assist you.

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