BUG: VBApp FileCopy Updates Destination File's Date & Time Stamp

• Microsoft Visual Basic, Applications Edition, version 1.0
• Microsoft Excel, version 5.0
• Microsoft Project, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

The FileCopy statement in Visual Basic, Applications Edition does not maintain the Date and Time stamp of the source file when the destination file is copied. Unlike the MS-DOS Copy command and the FileCopy statement in Visual Basic version 3.0, the time stamp of the destination file shows the actual time the copy occurs.

WORKAROUND

Because the time stamp placed on the file is based on the current time, setting the system time to the time stamp of the source file prior to copying the file establishes the same time stamp on the destination file. Below is a sample piece of code to copy a file that maintains the same time stamp:

Sub TestFileCopy()
   Dim datOriginalDateTime As Date
   Dim datSourceTimeStamp As Date

   Const cSourceFile = "C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT"
   Const cDestFile = "C:\AUTOEXEC.OLD"

   ' Obtain Date/Time Stamp of the Source file:
   datSourceTimeStamp = FileDateTime(cSourceFile)

   ' Store Current time in a temporary variable:
   datOriginalDateTime = Now()

   ' Set System time to that of the Source File:
   Date = datSourceTimeStamp
   Time = datSourceTimeStamp

   FileCopy cSourceFile, cDestFile

   ' Restore System time to correct time:
   Date = datOriginalDateTime
   Time = datOriginalDateTime
   MsgBox "Source Date = " & FileDateTime(cSourceFile) & Chr(13) & _
      Chr(10) & "Destination Date = " & FileDateTime(cDestFile)
End Sub

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the products listed above. We are researching this bug and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Start Excel, or from the File menu, choose New (ALT, F, N) if Excel is already running.

2. Insert a New module. From the Insert Menu, choose Macro Module (ALT, I, M, M). Module1 is created by default.

3. Insert the following code into Module1:

      Sub TestFileCopy()
         Const cSourceFile = "C:\autoexec.bat"
         Const cDestFile = "C:\autoexec.old"
         FileCopy cSourceFile, cDestFile
         MsgBox "Source Date = " & FileDateTime(cSourceFile) & Chr(13) & _
            Chr(10) & "Destination Date = " & FileDateTime(cDestFile)
      End Sub
   
   

4. Run the macro. From the Tools Menu, choose Macro (ALT, T, M). From the Macro dialog, select the macro TestFileCopy. Then click the Run button.