Re: Set all files on Windows XP to a specified create & access date

From: David Candy (.)
Date: 10/11/05 

Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 13:04:04 +1000

And none of you read what I posted that specifically states IT DOES NOT TURN OFF LAST ACCESS DATES for files.

Determines whether NTFS updates the last-access time stamp on each directory when it lists the directories on an NTFS volume. 

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http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
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"Michael Bednarek" <ROT13-abfcnz-zo@gtz.pbz.nh> wrote in message news:q18mk1h7lg51tvp9anlkkshb27f4h7aaaq@4ax.com...
> On 10 Oct 2005 18:08:08 -0700, donnadigacomo@... wrote in
> alt.comp.freeware.discussion, microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,
> alt.comp.freeware, alt.msdos.batch, microsoft.public.security,
> alt.privacy.spyware -seen in alt.msdos.batch-:
> 
>>David Candy wrote:
>>> Did you reboot?
>>
>>> >> You can prevent NTFS from having to update the last accessed date/time
>>> >> stamp by setting the following DWord value to 1:
>>> >>
>>> >> HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
>>> >> \NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate
>>
>>I did belaatedly reboot (why wouldn't the change take hold
>>immediately)?
>>It seems to ONLY work for folders but not files.
>>And, even then it still changed the 'last modified' date.
>>Do I understand the use model correctly?
> 
> There seem to be three different questions in this thread, yours
> (Donna), Conor's, and Paul Koch's. It seems that replies are not always
> fully understood by those they were probably not intended for.
> 
> You wanted a tool to set file dates to a certain date, claiming this
> would be some sort of security enhancement. Several contributors pointed
> out that this was a really stupid idea; they also pointed out tools and
> batch language constructs to do it.
> 
> Conor then asserted that all date/time stamping of files could be
> switched off under Windows XP, which I questioned.
> 
> Then Paul Koch jumped in and told us of how he messed with the file
> system of his work computer, and he asked for a method to disable the
> recording of LastAccessTime, which Far Canal and I answered.
> 
> You picked this up and disabled the recording of LastAccessTime on your
> computer, obviously without understanding the implications.
> 
> First, you asked why a change like that would need a reboot. Well,
> certain features do. A lot of things are established when the system
> boots and then never looked at again until the next boot - like
> fundamental file system attributes.
> 
> Then you observe that this doesn't affect the modification date of
> files; note that the name of the registry refers to disabling the Last
> Access date. Do you understand that the NTFS file system maintains 3
> sets of dates for each file/directory? Unlike Conor, I believe only the
> Last Access date can be turned off.
> 
> Still, the whole thread is pretty pointless because the question in the
> Subject line is a) not a good idea (I'm being polite here), b) contrary
> to your explanation in your earlier reply to Pegasus, has nothing to do
> with security; in fact, as Asher_N, Paul Adare, Steven L Umbach, and I
> have pointed out, it is dangerous interference with your OS and might
> well have the opposite (re security) effect.
> 
> -- 
> Michael Bednarek  http://mbednarek.com/  "POST NO BILLS"

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