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Today I want to show how you can change a datetime of file creation from own application:

function SetDateToFile(const FileName: string; Value: TDateTime): Boolean;
var
  hFile: THandle;
begin
  Result := False;
  try
    {open a file handle}
    hFile := FileOpen(FileName, fmOpenWrite or fmShareDenyNone);

    {if opened succesfully}
    if (hFile > 0) then
      {convert a datetime into DOS format and set a date}
      Result := (FileSetDate(hFile, DateTimeToFileDate(Value)) = 0)
  finally
    {close an opened file handle}
    FileClose(hFile);
  end;
end;

To use:
SetDateToFile('C:\My Documents\application.cfg', Now());

This code can be useful in case of application protection - you can store in creation date of some your file a same important value. For example, version of application or date of first start for your trial.

Published: August 13, 2001

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