# Restoring Original "File Created" Timestamp **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [February 8, 2015, 2:36pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/restoring-original-file-created-timestamp/16585 "2015-02-08T14:36:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![absoluthotness86](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/9e8a1a/32.png) [@absoluthotness86](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/absoluthotness86)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 2:36pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/restoring-original-file-created-timestamp/16585/1 "2015-02-08T14:36:34Z")
Last year, I had to move everything onto an external hard drive and ended up re-installing windows. I noticed a difference under "last modified" but for some reason I think I had the "Do not change file date/time when saving" option UNselected when continuing to use mp3 Tag. Which means I believe mp3 tag overwrote new data in the %file create date% field. Anyone know a way around this? As a DJ, It is annoying going through my recordings and not knowing when they were recorded. I also hate not knowing when I first downloaded a song which helps me figure out what year some songs were introduced. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/restoring-original-file-created-timestamp/16585/2 "2015-02-08T16:59:30Z")
AFAIK you either have the option to keep the current timestamp or to update it (see File\>Options\>Tags). There is no way in MP3tag to set any of the file dates to a user-defined date. You would have to use an external application like "touch". ---
**Author:** ![DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/detlevd/32/123_2.png) [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/restoring-original-file-created-timestamp/16585/3 "2015-02-08T17:43:07Z")
> [@DJ Absolute](#): > > Last year, I had to move everything onto an external hard drive and ended up re-installing windows. I noticed a difference under "last modified" but for some reason I think I had the "Do not change file date/time when saving" option UNselected when continuing to use mp3 Tag. Which means I believe mp3 tag overwrote new data in the %file create date% field. ... As user 'ohrenkino' already said in post #2, ... Mp3tag can read and restore the given modification datetime of a file (... adjustable, see Options/Tags). Mp3tag is not able to modify the creation datetime of a file. Such content names or Mp3tag variables, ... %\_file\_create\_date, %\_file\_create\_datetime%, %\_file\_create\_datetime\_raw%, ... %\_file\_mod\_date%, %\_file\_mod\_datetime%, %\_file\_mod\_datetime\_raw%, ... are read-only technical info fields, they cannot be changed by the user. But you are free to store the creation datetime of a file into a user defined tag-field, for example ... Action: Format value Field: FILE\_CREATE\_DT Formatstring: %\_file\_create\_datetime% DD.20150208.1943.CET ---
**Author:** ![system](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ce7035d426cb755a7916793326d23b465222a407.png) [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/restoring-original-file-created-timestamp/16585/4 "2026-02-09T12:25:31Z")
Closed on February 9, 2026, 12:25pm UTC