+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 6 of 6

Excel file modification date

  1. #1
    GROSNER
    Guest

    Excel file modification date

    In Excel 2002 SP3 on Win XP, the workbook's file modification date changes to
    the current date and time as soon as the Excel workbook is opened, even if
    there are no changes applied to the file. If you close the workbook without
    changing any of its contents, the file modification date reverts back to the
    original value. Is there any way for the file modification date to remain
    unchanged until afte the Excel workbook has been modified? Does this behavior
    occur in newer versions of Excel?

  2. #2
    Myrna Larson
    Guest

    Re: Excel file modification date

    It has been that way for as long as I can remember and I don't think it's
    changed in XL2003 (which is the only newer version). No, there's no way to
    change that behavior.

    On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 20:27:02 -0800, "GROSNER"
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    >In Excel 2002 SP3 on Win XP, the workbook's file modification date changes to
    >the current date and time as soon as the Excel workbook is opened, even if
    >there are no changes applied to the file. If you close the workbook without
    >changing any of its contents, the file modification date reverts back to the
    >original value. Is there any way for the file modification date to remain
    >unchanged until afte the Excel workbook has been modified? Does this behavior
    >occur in newer versions of Excel?



  3. #3
    Jerry W. Lewis
    Guest

    Re: Excel file modification date

    The only way I know of to avoid this is to open the file Read Only.
    Since there is not a Read Only option in the file open dialog, this
    means that you either must use a VBA command to open, or else set the
    read only property of the file (right click on file from Windows
    Explorer) before you open it.

    I don't know how long Myrna can remember ;-) but I recall that Excel has
    worked this way at least since Excel 5. I have found it problematic,
    because the date-time stamp gets permanently changed, despite no changes
    to the file, if there is any kind of abnormal termination of Excel
    (power failure, crash, etc.) before the file is closed.

    Jerry

    GROSNER wrote:

    > In Excel 2002 SP3 on Win XP, the workbook's file modification date changes to
    > the current date and time as soon as the Excel workbook is opened, even if
    > there are no changes applied to the file. If you close the workbook without
    > changing any of its contents, the file modification date reverts back to the
    > original value. Is there any way for the file modification date to remain
    > unchanged until afte the Excel workbook has been modified? Does this behavior
    > occur in newer versions of Excel?



  4. #4
    Dave Peterson
    Guest

    Re: Excel file modification date

    In earlier versions (through xl2k, IIRC (xl97 for sure)), you could right click
    on the filename in the File|open dialog and choose "open read-only".

    In newer (all???) versions, you can select the file and then click on the
    dropdown arrow on the Open button in the File|Open dialog and choose "open
    read-only".

    "Jerry W. Lewis" wrote:
    >
    > The only way I know of to avoid this is to open the file Read Only.
    > Since there is not a Read Only option in the file open dialog, this
    > means that you either must use a VBA command to open, or else set the
    > read only property of the file (right click on file from Windows
    > Explorer) before you open it.
    >
    > I don't know how long Myrna can remember ;-) but I recall that Excel has
    > worked this way at least since Excel 5. I have found it problematic,
    > because the date-time stamp gets permanently changed, despite no changes
    > to the file, if there is any kind of abnormal termination of Excel
    > (power failure, crash, etc.) before the file is closed.
    >
    > Jerry
    >
    > GROSNER wrote:
    >
    > > In Excel 2002 SP3 on Win XP, the workbook's file modification date changes to
    > > the current date and time as soon as the Excel workbook is opened, even if
    > > there are no changes applied to the file. If you close the workbook without
    > > changing any of its contents, the file modification date reverts back to the
    > > original value. Is there any way for the file modification date to remain
    > > unchanged until afte the Excel workbook has been modified? Does this behavior
    > > occur in newer versions of Excel?


    --

    Dave Peterson

  5. #5
    Myrna Larson
    Guest

    Re: Excel file modification date

    I can remember the first Windows version of Excel, 2.1d, in 1987. Those were
    "DOS days", so Excel came with a "run-time" version of Windows.

    My computer was an 8mHz IBM-AT with 512k of memory and a 20 meg hard drive.
    Excel was such a drudge speed-wise that I uninstalled it and went back to
    Multiplan <g>.

    On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 07:04:38 -0500, "Jerry W. Lewis"
    <post_a_reply@no_e-mail.com> wrote:

    >The only way I know of to avoid this is to open the file Read Only.
    >Since there is not a Read Only option in the file open dialog, this
    >means that you either must use a VBA command to open, or else set the
    >read only property of the file (right click on file from Windows
    >Explorer) before you open it.
    >
    >I don't know how long Myrna can remember ;-) but I recall that Excel has
    >worked this way at least since Excel 5. I have found it problematic,
    >because the date-time stamp gets permanently changed, despite no changes
    >to the file, if there is any kind of abnormal termination of Excel
    >(power failure, crash, etc.) before the file is closed.
    >
    >Jerry
    >
    >GROSNER wrote:
    >
    >> In Excel 2002 SP3 on Win XP, the workbook's file modification date changes

    to
    >> the current date and time as soon as the Excel workbook is opened, even if
    >> there are no changes applied to the file. If you close the workbook without
    >> changing any of its contents, the file modification date reverts back to

    the
    >> original value. Is there any way for the file modification date to remain
    >> unchanged until afte the Excel workbook has been modified? Does this

    behavior
    >> occur in newer versions of Excel?



  6. #6
    GROSNER
    Guest

    Re: Excel file modification date

    I am glad everyone has a memory of this issue. Is there a good reason for
    this unusual behavior? Maybe Microsoft could fix this in a future release of
    Excel. Other office programs don't seem to exhibit this behavior. Thanks
    everyone for their responses.

    GRosner

    "Myrna Larson" wrote:

    > I can remember the first Windows version of Excel, 2.1d, in 1987. Those were
    > "DOS days", so Excel came with a "run-time" version of Windows.
    >
    > My computer was an 8mHz IBM-AT with 512k of memory and a 20 meg hard drive.
    > Excel was such a drudge speed-wise that I uninstalled it and went back to
    > Multiplan <g>.
    >
    > On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 07:04:38 -0500, "Jerry W. Lewis"
    > <post_a_reply@no_e-mail.com> wrote:
    >
    > >The only way I know of to avoid this is to open the file Read Only.
    > >Since there is not a Read Only option in the file open dialog, this
    > >means that you either must use a VBA command to open, or else set the
    > >read only property of the file (right click on file from Windows
    > >Explorer) before you open it.
    > >
    > >I don't know how long Myrna can remember ;-) but I recall that Excel has
    > >worked this way at least since Excel 5. I have found it problematic,
    > >because the date-time stamp gets permanently changed, despite no changes
    > >to the file, if there is any kind of abnormal termination of Excel
    > >(power failure, crash, etc.) before the file is closed.
    > >
    > >Jerry
    > >
    > >GROSNER wrote:
    > >
    > >> In Excel 2002 SP3 on Win XP, the workbook's file modification date changes

    > to
    > >> the current date and time as soon as the Excel workbook is opened, even if
    > >> there are no changes applied to the file. If you close the workbook without
    > >> changing any of its contents, the file modification date reverts back to

    > the
    > >> original value. Is there any way for the file modification date to remain
    > >> unchanged until afte the Excel workbook has been modified? Does this

    > behavior
    > >> occur in newer versions of Excel?

    >
    >


+ Reply to Thread

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts

Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 RC 1