Date recently changed

[harryray2]

I usually use date modified, date created and occasionally date accessed.
I've tried using date recently changed but it doesn't seem to give me any info that's any different and sometimes it appears to miss out files completely.

Is there any advantage to using date recently changed?

Thanks.

[void]

Date Recently Changed is an Everything only property.
Not to be confused with the Date Changed property which is the date of the last NTFS MFT change.


Only recently changed files will have this property (files changed since Everything was started)


Date Recently Changed is a relic from Everything 1.3.
Everything 1.3 and earlier did not have support for indexing Date Modified / Date Created, so Date Recently Changed offered an efficient way to search recent files.


Date Recently Changed is similar to Date Modified. Except, Date Recently Changed also includes renaming/moving files as a change.
This might be useful to track accidental renames or moves.

Date Recently Changed will be disabled in Everything 1.5 by default.
Use Date Modified and the Index Journal instead.

Date Recently Changed can be enabled/disabled from Everything -> Tools -> Options -> Indexes.

[harryray2]

So I assume that date changed is just a property that can be added and not a search modifier such as DC: and DM:?

Will the date changed column give me any more info than date modified?

It will be useful for tracking file deletes and moves for me. As it only tracks since Everything is started presumably the info is lost if Everything is re-started?

[void]

Date Changed is just a file property in Everything.

You can add this column from Right clicking the result list column header -> Add Columns -> Date Changed
Right click the Date Changed column header and click Search for Date Changed.

Or, include the following in your search:
date-changed:
date-changed:2021-09-03




Date Recently Changed is a special property in Everything.
Everything manages another separate database of Date Recently Changed files.

To show the Date Recently Changed column, right click the result list column header -> Check Date Recently Changed.
Right click the Date Recently Changed column header and click Search for Date Recently Changed.

Or, include the following in your search:
rc:
rc:2021-09-03

Will the date changed column give me any more info than date modified?

Yes, date changed is updated for any change to the NTFS MFT, such as a file move or attribute change.
Generally, date changed is the same as date modified.

[void]

It will be useful for tracking file deletes and moves for me. As it only tracks since Everything is started presumably the info is lost if Everything is re-started?

The Date Recently Changed property is cleared when a file is deleted.

Normally Everything will only track Date Recently Changed from when you start Everything.
You can load the entire USN Journal into the Everything Date Recently Changed database from Tools -> Options -> NTFS -> NTFS Volume -> Load USN Journal into Recently Changes database.


Instead of using Recent Changes, consider using the Index Journal.

[harryray2]

Got it...thanks

[harryray2]

That answers a question for me, I've been wondering what the Load USN Journal into Recently Changes database was for..

Out of curiosity, where is the separate database kept?

[void]

In memory.

[etl]

So, is it (approximately) accurate to say that sorting by "Date Changed" can be used to sort "Date Modified or Date Created, whichever is most recent"?

(I usually sort Everything by Date Modified, but I noticed that some files that I download, such as those unpacked from ZIP files, often have Date Modified values that are much earlier in time, when what I really want to see in that case is the date that it began to exists ON MY COMPUTER)

EDIT: Ah nevermind I tried sorting by Date Changed and the dates only go as far back as, well, probably when I bought this PC. So it looks like that won't work. I don't mean to hijack, but IS there any good way to sort by "Date Modified or Date Created, whichever is most recent"? (I know I could do it with a custom column sort in the 1.5-alpha, but I'd prefer not to because, last I checked, column sort still had a challenging limitation of not being able to interpolate files and folders in the search results)

[void]

So, is it (approximately) accurate to say that sorting by "Date Changed" can be used to sort "Date Modified or Date Created, whichever is most recent"?

Generally, yes.

But not always.
Date Recently Changed is the last MFT update timestamp.

For example: changing the attributes would update the MFT and Date Recently Changed.
The date modified and date created would remain unchanged.



Please try loading your USN Journal into Recent Changes database:

• In Everything, from the Tools menu, click Options.
• Click the NTFS tab on the left.
• For each NTFS volume:
  • Check Load USN Journal into the Recent Changes database.
• Click OK.

The USN Journal / Recent Changes database will only go back a week or so.



Everything 1.5 has a Date Changed property.
This is different to Date Recently Changed.

Date Changed is the last MFT change timestamp.
Date Recently Changed is the same, but only for recently changed files.

Date Changed will be slow to gather, but can be indexed. (Tools -> Options -> Properties -> Date Changed)
Date Recently Changed is instant.

Date Changed cannot be sort mixed (files and folders together)
Date Recently Changed is always sort mixed.