Can modified file on Windows 7 be changed without human intervention?

JYelton215 · 17 Oct 2012

What type of ways are there to change a modified file date without a human being involved with the computer?

I'm trying to prove that I didn't change a file on the computer. Could Windows 7, an application on the computer, and application in the cloud with access to the computer (ie Dropbox or QuickBooks, etc) or Norton Security Software change a Modifed date without me touching the computer?

Are there any known bugs in Windows 7 that can cause a Modified file to change?

python134r · 17 Oct 2012

Can you be more specific,....... was just the date of the file changed? Which file,location,etc.....?

Britton30 · 17 Oct 2012

If said file is seen by security software as a threat it can change it.

JYelton215 · 17 Oct 2012

I had 345 files that were backed up to an external hard drive by software that came with the hard drive. I reviewed the backup Zipped file on the external hard drive and all 345 files had thier "modifed date" changed to 1-8-2012. I never opened, reviewed, copied, moved or anything else to the files. The only action taken on the files was by the backup software.

The 345 files are on a C: drive on a HP Laptop running Windows 7. Attached to the HP Laptop is a WD hard drive designated as the E: drive. This drive remains connected 99% of the time to the HP Laptop. The WD software backs the C: drive up periodically. I back the E: drive up to Dropbox.

Britton30 · 17 Oct 2012

Backing up files to another drive is moving them though. I'm not sure what exactly modified means, but moving them may do that.
If the original files on the C; drive also had the modified date changed. I don't know why that would happen.
Does this backup software run automatically unattended? IF not, that would be human intervention.
EDIT: I just read what I wrote and it's wrong. What I meant is that the back up copy of the files may be seen as having been modified since in relation to the external drive, they are new files.

DarkStar GT · 17 Oct 2012

JYelton215 said:

I had 345 files that were backed up to an external hard drive by software that came with the hard drive. I reviewed the backup Zipped file on the external hard drive and all 345 files had thier "modifed date" changed to 1-8-2012. I never opened, reviewed, copied, moved or anything else to the files. The only action taken on the files was by the backup software.

I'm not sure that I follow exactly

-- First of all, there were 345 separate files?
-- what sorts of Dates Modified did they have?
-- and what type(s) of files are they?
-- then they were backed up to the external drive,
-- and all 345 files has their Date Modified changed to 1-8-2012
-- was that the date the backup was run?
-- what software was used to make the back-ups?
-- where did the ZIpped file come from?
-- or were the 345 files inside the .zip file?