Note   This method may return an inaccurate value, because it uses native functions whose values may not be continuously updated by the operating system.

The value of the CreationTime property is pre-cached if the current instance of the FileSystemInfo object was returned from any of the following DirectoryInfo methods:

• GetDirectories

• GetFiles

• GetFileSystemInfos

• EnumerateDirectories

• EnumerateFiles

• EnumerateFileSystemInfos

To get the latest value, call the Refresh method.

If the file described in the FileSystemInfo object does not exist, this property will return 12:00 midnight, January 1, 1601 A.D. (C.E.) Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), adjusted to local time.

NTFS-formatted drives may cache file meta-info, such as file creation time, for a short period of time. This process is known as file tunneling. As a result, it may be necessary to explicitly set the creation time of a file if you are overwriting or replacing an existing file.

This property value is nullNothingnullptra null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic) if the file system containing the FileSystemInfo object does not support this information.

Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition Platform Note: These operating systems do not support this property, and DirectoryInfo implementations of this property are not supported.

The following example demonstrates the CreationTime property. This code example is part of a larger example provided for the FileSystemInfo class.

Sub DisplayFileSystemInfoAttributes(ByVal fsi As IO.FileSystemInfo)
    ' Assume that this entry is a file.
    Dim entryType As String = "File"

    ' Determine if this entry is really a directory.
    If (fsi.Attributes And FileAttributes.Directory) = FileAttributes.Directory Then
        entryType = "Directory"
    End If

    ' Show this entry's type, name, and creation date.
    Console.WriteLine("{0} entry {1} was created on {2:D}", _
        entryType, fsi.FullName, fsi.CreationTime)
End Sub

static void DisplayFileSystemInfoAttributes(FileSystemInfo fsi)
{
    //  Assume that this entry is a file.
    string entryType = "File";

    // Determine if entry is really a directory
    if ((fsi.Attributes & FileAttributes.Directory) == FileAttributes.Directory )
    {
        entryType = "Directory";
    }
    //  Show this entry's type, name, and creation date.
    Console.WriteLine("{0} entry {1} was created on {2:D}", entryType, fsi.FullName, fsi.CreationTime);
}

static void DisplayFileSystemInfoAttributes(FileSystemInfo^ fsi)
{
    //  Assume that this entry is a file.
    String^ entryType = "File";

    // Determine if entry is really a directory
    if ((fsi->Attributes & FileAttributes::Directory) == FileAttributes::Directory)
    {
        entryType = "Directory";
    }
    //  Show this entry's type, name, and creation date.
    Console::WriteLine("{0} entry {1} was created on {2:D}", entryType, fsi->FullName, fsi->CreationTime);
}

.NET Framework

.NET Framework Client Profile

• FileIOPermission 

  for setting the creation time. Associated enumeration: FileIOPermissionAccess..::.Write

Windows 7, Windows Vista SP1 or later, Windows XP SP3, Windows XP SP2 x64 Edition, Windows Server 2008 (Server Core not supported), Windows Server 2008 R2 (Server Core supported with SP1 or later), Windows Server 2003 SP2

Reference

Other Resources