Has anyone found a solution using software-wise or by any other means to transfer a file (could be anything) to windows PC keeping/preserving date created, date modified, date accessed of that file/folder to the PC without any problems? Is this even possible? The emphasis is on *FILES & FOLDERS*
[GUIDE][HOW-TO]Keep timestamp and attributes correct
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To be sure to restore these states, you should use an archiver. Example
tar cvf filename.tar *
For archive
tar xvf filename.tar
For extracting.
If you have the rights, this should always work fine, and I think date and time of folder is being restored also. But I'm not sure if nanoseconds are being restored, or if tar only stores seconds.
tar cvf filename.tar *
For archive
tar xvf filename.tar
For extracting.
If you have the rights, this should always work fine, and I think date and time of folder is being restored also. But I'm not sure if nanoseconds are being restored, or if tar only stores seconds.
You may use tar on Android, Linux, Mac or Windows. As you like. The only difference is that Linux (and Mac) does deliver tar itself, for Android and Windows you may need a download.
If you don't like tar, you can try any other archiver that exists on all concerned OS, eg 7z or zip could be fine also.
The idea is that the archiver stores the date and restores it. This is a different, much more reliable approach than trying to copy timestamp. Especially for folders the file operations usually don't even try to restore the timestamp, the idea is that the folder is created when copying. Archivers mostly care about folder dates. Gnutar has quite some logic implemented to first copy all of the the files and afterwards set the timestamp for the folder, because adding a file to a folder sets a new timestamp.
This is the background why I recommended tar. It is the oldest tool, very reliable and exists nearly everywhere.
If you don't like tar, you can try any other archiver that exists on all concerned OS, eg 7z or zip could be fine also.
The idea is that the archiver stores the date and restores it. This is a different, much more reliable approach than trying to copy timestamp. Especially for folders the file operations usually don't even try to restore the timestamp, the idea is that the folder is created when copying. Archivers mostly care about folder dates. Gnutar has quite some logic implemented to first copy all of the the files and afterwards set the timestamp for the folder, because adding a file to a folder sets a new timestamp.
This is the background why I recommended tar. It is the oldest tool, very reliable and exists nearly everywhere.
Is it native to windows 10 or is there a specific software that I need to download to use TAR ? What im trying to do is preserve all date and time fields of FOLDERS and FILES from android and transfer them to desktop PC for archiving and storage. So your saying TAR will allow this?
It is said that tar is included with Windows 10:
www.andysblog.de
tar does not transfer files. It is only an archiver. But you don't need to check if the transfer is being done timestamp-aware because you don't transfer the single files and folders, only an archive. If the archive does not keep timestamp when getting transferred, it does not harm. tar should be an easy helper for what you want to achieve.
On my Android device tar is directly available when called in a terminal.
If you want some GUI, so you don't need to use the command line, you will most probable need to download some archiver helper. Guess 7zip GUI will be fine for creating and extracting tar on Windows.
Windows: tar verwenden und ggf. nachrüsten – Andy's Blog
www.andysblog.de
tar does not transfer files. It is only an archiver. But you don't need to check if the transfer is being done timestamp-aware because you don't transfer the single files and folders, only an archive. If the archive does not keep timestamp when getting transferred, it does not harm. tar should be an easy helper for what you want to achieve.
On my Android device tar is directly available when called in a terminal.
If you want some GUI, so you don't need to use the command line, you will most probable need to download some archiver helper. Guess 7zip GUI will be fine for creating and extracting tar on Windows.
7-Zip » 7-zip.de
7-zip.de
I've managed to copy my files with the tool "TotalCommander". It's a german file manager, similar to the Windows Explorer, but you can easily copy files over MTP and transfers the timestamps, if previously enabled in settings.
However, I noticed when copying the pictures to my new smartphone (Samsung), that it won't maintain these timestamps - unlike other smartphone brands, like LG or Xiaomi
So your saying specific LG and Xiaomi phones do preserve the date created, date modified and date accessed of files and/or folders to PC or to another android device ? Which smartphone models like Xiaomi and LG preserves file and folder date and timestamps (without worrying about DST changes) ?
I've tested total commander and it only preserves the date modified, date created and date accessed doesn't get preserved. I know this and verified this after plugging my android phone to PC and using file explorer to see the video, photo or document such as pdf files etc..
I have not tried using TAR archives yet because if there is someone who can prove to me all 3 date and timestamps are preserved when copying or moving the archive to PC...then I would try it
I have simply starting zipping up all my files, copy the ZIP to my phone and then unzipping them.
Have you tried to see if the date created, date modified and date accessed of the files are preserved? Have you tested this on pictures, videos and documents or what other certain types of files have you tested?
Not all, but I believe the date modified is preserved and I then just sort via QuickPic using date modified and it serves my purpose well.
I don't recall perfectly but I think another option would be to use Linux.
Boot Ubuntu orn another distro off a USB drive and try copying the files to your phone.
I've tried to copy files from android to linux then transferred to windows 10, it seems like only date modified is retained but date accessed becomes the current date and time
How do i use tar in command line as you stated within android 9 using a galaxy s8 ?It is said that tar is included with Windows 10:
Windows: tar verwenden und ggf. nachrüsten – Andy's Blog
tar does not transfer files. It is only an archiver. But you don't need to check if the transfer is being done timestamp-aware because you don't transfer the single files and folders, only an archive. If the archive does not keep timestamp when getting transferred, it does not harm. tar should be an easy helper for what you want to achieve.
On my Android device tar is directly available when called in a terminal.
If you want some GUI, so you don't need to use the command line, you will most probable need to download some archiver helper. Guess 7zip GUI will be fine for creating and extracting tar on Windows.
7-Zip » 7-zip.de
7-zip.de
About any Samsung I don't know. I had a Galaxy S3 once and afterwards I was convinced that I'd stay away from Samsung in the future.
You need any terminal. Then you can use the command line. I like JuiceSSH which is a SSH client but works for local access fine also.
For me the command "which tar" (show the location where tar would be called from) in the terminal shows "/system/bin/tar". If any tar is shown on "which tar" it should be running fine.
You need any terminal. Then you can use the command line. I like JuiceSSH which is a SSH client but works for local access fine also.
Terminal Emulator for Android - Apps on Google Play
Access Android's built-in Linux command line shell. Unleash your inner geek!
play.google.com
For me the command "which tar" (show the location where tar would be called from) in the terminal shows "/system/bin/tar". If any tar is shown on "which tar" it should be running fine.
Do you know if ssh preserves all timestamps of folders and files from android to pc ?About any Samsung I don't know. I had a Galaxy S3 once and afterwards I was convinced that I'd stay away from Samsung in the future.
You need any terminal. Then you can use the command line. I like JuiceSSH which is a SSH client but works for local access fine also.
Terminal Emulator for Android - Apps on Google Play
Access Android's built-in Linux command line shell. Unleash your inner geek!play.google.com
For me the command "which tar" (show the location where tar would be called from) in the terminal shows "/system/bin/tar". If any tar is shown on "which tar" it should be running fine.
On recent phones, moving folders within internal storage on the stock file manager changes their last modified timestamp. This does not happen on MicroSD (exFAT). It seems F2FS causes this.
In the early days of Storage Access Framework, file managers could not move files directly, so they could only copy and then delete from source. This was both slow and inefficient and also discarded the last modified date and time stamp.
In the early days of Storage Access Framework, file managers could not move files directly, so they could only copy and then delete from source. This was both slow and inefficient and also discarded the last modified date and time stamp.
Not yet, but I tried it with Jack Palevich's Android terminal (APK), and it still doesn't preserve the last modified time of folders moved within the same file system. Only files.
It would probably be the same result with a different terminal emulator, since they all access the same binary (
/bin/sh). This seems to be a file system level problem of F2FS.Similar threads
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281. What is the problem?
The implementation of FUSE by Google runs using the root-account. The disadvantage is that the standard user is not capable of changing any attribute including timestamp. A copy or move file operation usually keeps all attributes including date and time on all known operating system - except Android if FUSE is involved. This can complicate management of backups or syncing - and sorting or filtering by date is not helpful anymore.
2. What is concerned?
The problem exists at least on all file systems which are emulated by Android using FUSE. Android 8 and later uses SDCardFS and therefore is not concerned.
Concerned from Android 4.0: ext4, exFAT
Not Concerned on 4.0: FAT32
It seems FAT32 is done via FUSE in later Android versions also, so it seems every file system is concerned from 4.1 to last Android 7.
Most Android 4.x-devices are using ext4 for the file system of the internal storage and are therefore concerned. The usage of FAT32 which can not manage file greater than 4 GiB seems not appropriate anyway. For memory cards smaller than 64 GiB it is usual to use FAT32, bigger cards use exFAT by default.
It is possible to access external file systems, eg SAMBA or FTP, and then usually the timestamp is set correctly, because this is not part of FUSE and uses other file systems. AFAIK most file manager still try to set the timestamps, although it always fails without root, and ignore the error returned by FUSE, so copying and moving should be fine. At least Total Commander copies the timestamp fine if writing to Samba using the appropriate plug-in on non-rooted devices.
3. How to recognize/test the problem?
If you copy or move a file, the date and time should be kept. But if the destination on Android uses FUSE, instead of the original timestamp the current date/time is being set. Also all other attributes which the file system may manage (rights, owner, groups etc.) usually are concerned. The original values vanish.
If you want to see which file system is being used for internal memory or some external card you may use the app DiskInfo.
If it shows vfat, it means FAT32.
4. Which possibilities exist to correct the behavior?
Google fixed the bug in Android 8 which was known for a long time (start of 2009).
Google issue 34691 with links to related issues
With Android 8 usage of FUSE was removed, the problem was corrected
https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/36930892#comment120
(careful when using command line under Android 8: cp -a seems not always to be working, but touch -r will)
5. Which possibilities exist to circumvent the problem?
5.0. do not use Android for writing to filesystem: If you don't use Android for writing the files, setting the timestamp mostly will be fine. As mentioned in 4. you can use any filesharing server (Samba, ftp etc.). Storing your documents there instead of the local device will relocate the write access to the filesystem of the filesharing server, which usually manages timestamps fine. There also exist possibilities like adopted storage mode, where the SD card gets accessed by Linux and Android only is being used like a card reader.
As the files have the owner root, all possibilities to circumvent using Android need a rooted device. All following solutions shown here won't work for devices which are not rooted.
5.1. Afterwards correcting (not tested): In the app store there exists at least one app File Timestamp which can afterwards set the timestamp.
5.2. Samba Filesharing runs under root account. If some file is accessed via samba server, the time stamp and attributes can be set correctly.
5.3. Make use of a file manager which sets the timestamp using the power of root on a rooted device:
X-Plore sets file time after copying if root mode is enabled.
Ghost Commander is said to work fine (additional requirement: Busybox)
Total Commander 2.04 and newer support changing the time stamp under root account. On Android 5 and newer you need to use link /storage/xxxx-xxxx for external SD, not ///_Name, to make it behave correctly.
SManager by devwom also deals fine with timestamp using root
MiXplorer tries calling touch. The standard touch on some Android versions is faulty implemented, MiXplorer then only succeeds when BusyBox (internal download of MiX) is installed. Try if it works on your device with your current setup, and have a second look if the timezone correctly evaluated.
5.4. Manual call via command line: Who opens a terminal (eg Open Android Terminal) on a rooted device preferrably with BusyBox can execute commands as root.
Example 5.4.
Archive (also possible on Unix/Windows/etc)
cd <Quelle>
tar -cf <Pfad_zu_Archiv>/Archiv.tar *
Extract
cd <Ziel>
su
tar -xf <Pfad_zu_Archiv>/Archiv.tar
Copy
su
cp -a <Quelle> <Ziel>
The command su changes to root user, so that write access to time stamps is possible. It is always possible to read them, so that it is not necessary to su before archive.
Careful when calling touch: The standard implementation (toybox) seems to be faulty, it does not set the given time when called using -d or -t switch.
Careful when using Android 8 (root not required), it seems at least some implementation of cp does not set timestamp on cp -a3Thanks OP, I have been searching Google for ways to copy photos to my phone while preserving timestamps and this thread is the only one that provided a usable solution.
My experience with Samsung Galaxy S4 running stock Lollipop:
Asus File Manager - Copy via SMB from Windows. Does not preserve timestamps.
ES File Explorer - Copy via SMB from Windows. Does not preserve timestamps.
Droid Explorer x64 (PC based, copy via USB/ADB) - Did not preserve timestamps, however, this was recommended in other threads.
Total Commander - Copy via SMB from Windows. It works perfectly, files copied to External SD preserves timestamps.
Ghost Commander - Copy via SMB from Windows. Enabled auto root and saw toast notifications it was granted root, but didn't copy to External SD at all. Acted like it was, but nothing was copied. Could not even delete from external SD, got a permission error. Lollipop has an annoying extra step of having to grant write access to External SD. Every other file manager was able to ask for it, Ghost Commander never did.
X-Plore File Manager - Copy via SMB from Windows. SMB timeout on several files with only option to SKIP. Files copied to External SD did preserve timestamps, but being forced to skip files due to SMB timeout error makes it unusable (no RETRY button).
For me, looks like Total Commander is the only workable solution so I've uninstalled everything else.2Using ADB to perserve timestamp and attributes when copying
I found the best way to copy files from my PC to an Andriod device and keep both time stamps and attributes correct, is to use TWRP Boot loader and ADB. (Might work with other bootloaders, but I only tested TWRP (v3.0.0) on Nexus 7.)
If you have a bunch of file and folders you should be one directory up on the push.
i.e. Files are in /top/backup on the PC.
cd into /top
Then:
adb devices
adb reboot recovery
adb push backup/ /sdcard
adb shell
chgrp -R media_rw <FILES>
chown -R media_rw <FILES>
