Print Page - How to change FileModifyDate from "[System]" to "[File]" metadata?

Title: How to change FileModifyDate from "[System]" to "[File]" metadata?
Post by: MJT on March 18, 2025, 06:41:02 PM

So, I'm having an issue with dates appearing wrong on some of the images I've uploaded to OneDrive. After a bit of prodding with exiftool I found that the "FileModifyDate" is in the "[System]" category for these images, not "[File]".

Example (the FileModifyDate and FileInodeChangeDate change to "2025:03:18" with this file after transferring to another system or OneDrive):

Code Select

$ exiftool -G1 -a -s IMG_8862.PNG
[ExifTool]      ExifToolVersion                 : 13.25
[System]        FileName                        : IMG_8862.PNG
[System]        Directory                       : ./Backup/108APPLE
[System]        FileSize                        : 350 kB
[System]        FileModifyDate                  : 2022:12:30 17:36:16-08:00
[System]        FileAccessDate                  : 2025:03:18 14:54:40-07:00
[System]        FileInodeChangeDate             : 2022:12:30 17:36:16-08:00
[System]        FilePermissions                 : -rwxr-xr-x
[File]          FileType                        : PNG
[File]          FileTypeExtension               : png
[File]          MIMEType                        : image/png
[PNG]           ImageWidth                      : 1448
[PNG]           ImageHeight                     : 2048
...

How can I change the FileModifyDate to [File] for all my images, so that when I transfer them to different machines the dates stay the same? Thanks.

Title: Re: How to change FileModifyDate from "[System]" to "[File]" metadata?
Post by: MJT on March 18, 2025, 06:54:37 PM

Actually, comparing these to the images that have their correct dates even after uploading, I'm seeing these properties retaining the correct dates:

Code Select

[IFD0]          ModifyDate                      : 2021:09:21 23:22:07
[ExifIFD]       DateTimeOriginal                : 2021:09:21 23:22:07
[ExifIFD]       CreateDate                      : 2021:09:21 23:22:07
[Composite]     SubSecCreateDate                : 2021:09:21 23:22:07.048-07:00
[Composite]     SubSecDateTimeOriginal          : 2021:09:21 23:22:07.048-07:00
[Composite]     SubSecModifyDate                : 2021:09:21 23:22:07-07:00

Which one of these properties should I set in the problematic images? ModifyDate maybe?

Title: Re: How to change FileModifyDate from "[System]" to "[File]" metadata?
Post by: StarGeek on March 18, 2025, 07:02:19 PM

Quote from: MJT on March 18, 2025, 06:41:02 PMHow can I change the FileModifyDate to [File] for all my images

Use -G instead of -G1. File is a group 0 name, System is a group 1 name below File

Code Select

C:\>exiftool -G -a -s -FileModifyDate y:\!temp\Test4.jpg 
[File]          FileModifyDate                  : 2025:02:28 18:33:29-08:00

C:\>exiftool -G1 -a -s -FileModifyDate y:\!temp\Test4.jpg  
[System]        FileModifyDate                  : 2025:02:28 18:33:29-08:00

In other words, there isn't two separate FileModifyDate tags, they are the same tag.

Quoteso that when I transfer them to different machines the dates stay the same?

You would have to look into what ever program you are using to copy files and see if there is an option to preserve file system time stamps.[/quote]

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ExifTool => Newbies => Topic started by: MJT on March 18, 2025, 06:41:02 PM