Long Filename, Directory Timestamp, Synchronization, VSS

[victormwm]

I've 4 Questions:

1. Does TC supports Long Filename & Filepath >260 characters?

2. Does TC allow one to keep original timestamp of directory that is copied from one directory to another? What it means is keeping the Creation date of the original directory when copied. (I do not mean file. I mean directory).

3. Will TC keep original Creation Date of directory during Synchronization of two directories, including all sub-directories Creation Dates?

4. Does TC support VSS (Volume Shadow Copy) when copying locked files?

Hope someone knowledgeable is able to assist me here. Thanks.

[Hacker]

Hi victormwm,
Yes
No
Probably yes, creation dates should not change for existing directories
No

HTH
Roman

[victormwm]

For question 3, apparently I found out TC does not keep the time-stamp of existing Creation Dates of existing Directories when it does the synchronization. What an anti-climax for me, for I do need such a feature.

Thanks for your reply.

[Hacker]

victormwm,
Can you give me an example where it does not?

Roman

[victormwm]

How do you like me to show?

Can you show me how you are able to sync the Left and Right, with the Creation Dates of the Left folders retained on the Right after the Sync?

What I got was the Creation Date of the Right folders are dates the Right folders are created and these dates are not the Creation Dates of the Left folders.

[milo1012]

For question 3, apparently I found out TC does not keep the time-stamp of existing Creation Dates of existing Directories when it does the synchronization. What an anti-climax for me, for I do need such a feature..

I'm not sure but it seems you're mixing up what the date and time stamps of dirs and folders are, at least on windows and it's file systems.
For files there are three time stamps:
-created
-modified
-last access
For directories/folders there are two:
-created
-modified
Edit: well, it seems last access is also present for dirs

AFAIK, TC only shows the modified date, both for files and dirs in all GUI elements and also let you modify it with "cm_SetAttrib" or "Files -> Change attributes".
Additionally, you can enable the option to preserve the modified date of dirs in the options for normal copy operations.
(Configuration -> Options -> Copy/Delete -> Copy date/time of directories)

But for TCs sync tools this isn't possible so far (what I can see). The reason is simple: NTFS follows certain rules for the time stamps, see e.g. here.
In short, every creation or deletion of files in a dir/folder changes the modified time stamp of the dir to current system time.
That's why TC would need to set the creation date after all copy operations are done recursively, i.e. copying and setting the stamp for the "deepest folder",
after that copying in the second deepest and modify the stamp for that and so on.

And again, we're talking about the modified stamp.
The creation stamp is sth. completely different!
From what I can see, both Explorer and TC preserve this date when moving but not when copying.
I'm not aware of a tool that preserves that stamp when copying, if you know one, tell us.
Edit:
WinRAR is a tool that can preserve all three time stamps and restore them when archiving,
but again, if you copy any file or dir with OS routines the stamps still get modified.

BTW, in what scenario do you need sth. like this?
For "classified information" scenarios where you're not supposed to leave any traces of modification or what?
If you really need to preserve all file and dir attributes, use a backup tool that copies the entire partition.
Edit: Or WinRAR

[victormwm]

I'm only interested in TC's Sync feature preserving the Creation Date of the folders.

Everything else you say is of no interest to me. As I've said, TC's Sync feature does not preserve (retain) the original Creation date of the folder.

If you can show me the contrary, I'm very interested to know.

Anyway, since you asked, for Moving and Copying function of folder that also preserves the Creation Date of the folder being moved or copied, there is XYplorer that does that.

For Sync operations that also retain the Creation Date of the folders being sync, I've used FreeFileSync that does that until it upgraded and dropped that feature.

I know what I'm talking here, so don't confuse me with other distractions, like Moving and Copying, etc. which I'm not interested in, as I'm using XYplorer to do that. However, it does not have Sync capability.

[milo1012]

I know what I'm talking here, so don't confuse me with other distractions, like Moving and Copying, etc.

I didn't try to confuse you, but if you'd read my answer correctly you would know that I'm talking about standard WIN-API fuctions,
which don't preserve dir time stamps (just like the standard Windows Explorer).
TC uses this API functions (CopyFileEx if I'm correct) and so has a hard time doing what you want.
Programs like your mentioned XYplorer and the well known Robocopy use their own functions to do that and that's why they are able to.

But maybe someone knows a way to do it in TC's sync tool anyway.

[victormwm]

I know what I'm talking here, so don't confuse me with other distractions, like Moving and Copying, etc.

I didn't try to confuse you, but if you'd read my answer correctly you would know that I'm talking about standard WIN-API fuctions,
which don't preserve dir time stamps (just like the standard Windows Explorer).
TC uses this API functions (CopyFileEx if I'm correct) and so has a hard time doing what you want.
Programs like your mentioned XYplorer and the well known Robocopy use their own functions to do that and that's why they are able to.

But maybe someone knows a way to do it in TC's sync tool anyway.

So, what's your point in commenting here? Trying to tell us you know a lot, is it?

Look here, I've already got the answer here that TC cannot preserve [retain] Creation Date during a Sync operation, which the Moderator said "probably can and TC should be able to do it", and asking me to show him example of TC not able to do it, that's why I'm still on this thread, waiting for him to show me that TC can do it, but he has gone AWOL.

I've been doing exhaustive research on this function on the web and I know many Sync software cannot do it. That is not news to me, because it is an easy way of programming following Windows Explorer limitations.

By the way, Synchronize It! v3 can keep all timestamps, including Creation Date and can do it flawlessly.

Once I confirm with the Moderator that TC cannot do it, I'm out of here.

I need a solution to my need, not an explanation of why it cannot be done, because as I've given you examples of software, it can be done.

I need this feature because I sort my directories based on date created and I need to sync huge directories as backup, instead of using image backup, which is cumbersome when it comes to restoration.

Also, it makes no sense that, for example, a laptop and a PC contains sync'ed copies of the same folders, but the Creation Date of the sync folders are different. To me, all attributes must be the same, then we can call it "synchronization".

You understand my point now?

[Hacker]

victormwm,

the Creation Dates of the Left folders retained on the Right after the Sync?

Ah, I understand now, you want to modify the target folder creation dates according to the creation dates of the source folders. TC does not touch the creation dates of folders (TC syncs files and mostly does not touch folders themselves nor their attributes).
Hope this answers your question.

Roman

[victormwm]

victormwm,

the Creation Dates of the Left folders retained on the Right after the Sync?

Ah, I understand now, you want to modify the target folder creation dates according to the creation dates of the source folders. TC does not touch the creation dates of folders (TC syncs files and mostly does not touch folders themselves nor their attributes).
Hope this answers your question.

Roman

Unfortunately, it did not answer my question. So, let me explain in this way to make it simple.

This is what I like to do:

Before Sync...

Source
----------------
Folder A [creation date: 1-JAN-1998]

Target
----------------
empty


After Sync...

Source
----------------
Folder A [creation date: 1-JAN-1998]

Target
---------------
Folder A [creation date: 1-JAN-1998]



HOWEVER, This is what TC did instead....

Before Sync...

Source
----------------
Folder A [creation date: 1-JAN-1998]

Target
----------------
empty


After Sync...

Source
----------------
Folder A [creation date: 1-JAN-1998]

Target
---------------
Folder A [creation date: 20-JULY-2013] <----DATE OF SYNC JOB, today!!


I just tried Sychronize It! a moment ago, and it can do it, retaining the creation date of the folder as 1-JAN-1998 .....but software
not updated since 2010, so I'm not sure if author is still alive or not.

Hope this explains....what I need happen.

[Hacker]

victormwm,
No, TC does not adjust the creation date of the target folder. If it did not exist before the sync and it was created during the sync its creation date will be set to the date of sync.
If the target folder already exists its creation date will not be touched during sync.
In other words, TC does not change or adjust any creation dates at all during sync.

Roman

[victormwm]

victormwm,
No, TC does not adjust the creation date of the target folder. If it did not exist before the sync and it was created during the sync its creation date will be set to the date of sync.
If the target folder already exists its creation date will not be touched during sync.
In other words, TC does not change or adjust any creation dates at all during sync.

Roman

Ok, got it. Thanks.

[sqa_wizard]

Well, you may change the folder date right after synch to the youngest/latest file date.

Have a look at this thread for possible solutions.

[Ralph]

victormwm,
No, TC does not adjust the creation date of the target folder. If it did not exist before the sync and it was created during the sync its creation date will be set to the date of sync.
If the target folder already exists its creation date will not be touched during sync.
In other words, TC does not change or adjust any creation dates at all during sync.

Roman

The TC behavior that I see is different; maybe I have misunderstood something.
Under Configuration, Options, Copy/Delete, I check Copy date/time of directories.
Next, I observe the results of synchronizing directories:
If a folder is created, the target folder date matches the source folder date.
If a file or folder is copied into an existing target folder, the target folder date changes to reflect the date of copying.