Windows equivalent of the Linux command 'touch'?

Question

What do you use when you want to update the date-modified field of a file on Windows?

1. commands accessible via C++, .NET, C#, or something native to Windows (Vista preferably)
2. tools/applications preferably free, and if possible open source as well

Edit: there is already a page for applications as pointed out by CheapScotsman here.

If anyone knows how I can do this via C++, C#, WSH or something similar, well and good, else I would think everything else is covered in the linked question.

• JdeBP: The four alternatives mentioned above, plus four more not mentioned here, can be found in the answer to a similar question: "Windows Recursive Touch Command"
• barlop: stackoverflow.com/questions/210201/… mentions a load, including REM.>a
• Piotr Migdal: npmjs.com/package/touch-for-windows works for me
• Zac Dreyer: I have tried all the solutions below. I have also tried using WSL but the simplest is echo '' > C:\path\filename - uses a default Windows CLI command and should be available on all Windows systems.
• Foad: check this simple cmd batch script. It also asks you to create the folders if they do not exist.

Answer 1

If you want to touch the date stamp of a file using windows, use the following command at the command prompt:

copy /b filename.ext +,,

(where filename.ext is your file's name). The +,, is a special flag to copy telling it to simply update the date/time on the file:

* Changing the time and date of a file

If you want to assign the current time and date to a file without modifying the file, use the following syntax:

copy /b Source+,,

The commas indicate the omission of the Destination parameter.

Edit based on comments by Lumi and Justin: put this in a batch file, eg. touch.cmd

@COPY /B %1+,, %1

This works even if the file is not in the current directory (tested on Windows 7).

• Lumi: type touch.bat is @echo off and next line copy /b %1 +,, - put it into C:\bin or what have you for your own scripts, and then you can use it like touch myfile.txt.
• Jamie: In Win7 this won't work if you are not in the folder containing the file. It will create a copy in the current working directory.
• Chadwick: @mob Note this was not slow on a large file. I used it on a >1GB file on a network drive and it returned immediately (and worked).
• Justin: If you need to do this in a remote folder (UNC path) - you must specify the destination to the copy command as well - copy /b Source+,, Source - where Source includes the full path to the file
• thirtydot: +,,: blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2013/07/10/10432879.aspx

Answer 2

I've used and recommend unxutils which are native Win32 ports of lots of common Unix utilities. There is a touch command in there.

• RomanSt: As almost every unix-to-windows port ever, this fails to work with unicode characters in the filenames outside of the encoding set as the default for non-unicode programs. Test filename that will trip up every such tool: "test тест τεστ.txt"
• barlop: gnuwin32 has it. but indeed, gnuwin32's also fails for unicode characters.
• Davos: Update from 2017 In Windows 10 we can use the Linux subsystem for windows, which installs bash. No need for cygwin, MinGW, unxutils or any other partial unix to windows ports. docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10
• 0xC0000022L: @Davos have you tried that on any file other than your (usually unprivileged) user context? Because technically the userland side of LXSS is running as unprivileged user.
• 0xC0000022L: These days it's literally easier to install the code-signed package Git for Windows and use the touch from there, as in any case you can use it in any (NT) user context, whereas your suggestion limits you entirely to files and folders owned by the user starting the WSP app (or at least those only accessible with the appropriate ACEs set to modify timestamps). The above port should also work for the same reason. Your method with WSL will only work inside the constraints of the WSL sandbox ...

Answer 3

If all you want is to change the file's last modified date (which was my case):

C:\> powershell (ls your-file-name-here).LastWriteTime = Get-Date

• matt: PowerShell FTW. I mean, seriously, unix is cool but PS is cooler.
• Eli Algranti: This will work only on one file. For multiple files: ls * | ForEach-Object {$_.LastWriteTime = Get-Date}
• BrainSlugs83: If you want to do it recursively, this works pretty well: gci -recu -inc "." | % { $_.LastWriteTime = Get-Date }
• alldayremix: @BrainSlugs83: use backticks ` for code: gci -recu -inc "*.*" | % { $_.LastWriteTime = Get-Date }
• Developer Marius Žilėnas: Unix touch is great for it's simplicity.

Answer 4

type nul >>file & copy file +,,

• Creates file if it does not exist.
• Leaves file contents alone.
• Just uses cmd built-ins.
• Both last-access and creation times updated.

UPDATE

Gah! This doesn't work on read-only files, whereas touch does. I suggest:

:touch
if not exist "%~1" type nul >>"%~1"& goto :eof
set _ATTRIBUTES=%~a1
if "%~a1"=="%_ATTRIBUTES:r=%" (copy "%~1"+,,) else attrib -r "%~1" & copy "%~1"+,, & attrib +r "%~1"

• Abel: It's a pity that copy cannot ignore the +r attribute the way xcopy does. Or, it's a pity that xcopy doesn't support the weird filename +,, syntax.
• Synetech: Unfortunately this does not work (at least not in Windows 7). It seems that the command interpreter does not update the timestamp of the destination of a redirection if the file is not actually modified (i.e., there is not data to redirect).
• Andry: The type nul ... has an issue with the creation file time on NTFS (Windows 8.1): if the file were erased before, then it sets the erased file time, instead of a new file time.
• Andry: The copy \\?\... variant does not support long paths, when type nul >> \\?\... does, but only for a new file.

Answer 5

@dash-tom-bang:

Here is Technet's explanation of the mysterious '+' and commas:

copy /b Source+,,

The commas indicate the omission of the Destination parameter.

The copy command supports merging multiple files into a single destination file. Since a blank destination cannot be specified using a space character at the command prompt, two commas can be used to denote that.

And this is Technet's copy command reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490886.aspx

• sth: Now that's just messed up syntax. Seriously, what were they thinking? Also note the same documentation says "Destination: Required."... I'm amazed.
• quillbreaker: This doesn't seem to even work in Vista... I wonder if they came to their senses?
• Imran: Works in Windows 7
• Abgan: It worked for me even without commas: copy file.ext+ So the documentation is as far from actual behaviour as the behaviour is from any reasonable expectations.
• FrinkTheBrave: It worked in Windows Server 2008 but only if you are in the folder containing the file

Answer 6

If you feel like coding it yourself, .NET offers the File.SetLastAccessTime, File.SetCreationTime and File.SetLastWriteTime methods.

Answer 7

I tried this to create an empty file in my batch script. You can use this:

ECHO text>file1.txt

• Alex McMillan: This is BY FAR the best quick method.. I just needed to create a .gitignore file, and Windows 7 keeps complaining "must enter a filename" etc etc. echo pie>.gitignore worked a treat - thanks!
• Brad Cupit: @Alex This is unrelated, but that windows error is because the file starts with a period. There's a strange hack to get around that in Windows Explorer: make the file end with a period too. So type .gitignore. and when you press enter Windows removes the trailing period. Crazy, but it works.
• Jonathan Mee: I wish that I could give this enough upvotes that it would catch the big players in popularity.
• Joshua Meyers: This doesn't create an empty file though, file1.txt has "text" in it.
• jez: touch is not only used for creating empty files, and creating empty files is not the usage that the OP is asking about. The question says "What do you use when you want to update the date-modified field of a file?" This answer does not answer that question. Instead, the question this answer answers is: "how do you create a file containing arbitrary text, wiping out existing content if a file of the same name already exists?" That's very much a misleading and possibly dangerous answer to the original question.

Answer 8

here is a recursive version using powershell... this will change the last modified time for all files and subdirectories, and files within this directory's subdirectories

ps c:myDir> Get-ChildItem . * -recurse | ForEach-Object{$_.LastWriteTime = get-date}

• Jonas: Less verbose but yet using only standard Powershell shorthands: ls * -recurse | % { $_.LastWriteTime = Get-Date }

Answer 9

The GnuWin32 project has Windows ports of the Gnu versions of the Unix command line utilities.

It comes as a number of separate packages and you can install just the commands you need with no other dependencies. For touch you would need the CoreUtils package.

Answer 10

cygwin comes with touch. I know you mentioned that you don't want to install a whole framework, but cygwin is quite lightweight, and can be called from dos command window without the whole unix-like command line turned on.

You can also control what tools to install, so you could simply install the touch.exe file, and leave the rest of the framework.

• Tall Jeff: To your point here, all you need to install is the touch.exe and cygwin.dll file in a directory to use the tool. There are no other dependancies relative to using cygwin based tools.
• matt wilkie: when I try this (win7x64) I need 4 cygwin dll's in addition to touch.exe: cygiconv-2.dll cygintl-8.dll cygwin1.dll cyggcc_s-1.dll

Answer 11

Here's a simple regfile I wrote to add right-click "touch" in Windows explorer. It'd be easy to script it, too, since it just calls:

cmd.exe /c copy %1+nul %1 /by

• Joey: And don't forget copy nul some_file to create an empty file (which is what I see touch most often used for).
• Dan7119: Ack! Zip file inaccessible (something about brinkster22.com needing to be the referring site). Jon, can you update this?
• Egor Skriptunoff: Works on Win7. Does not work on WinXP: file time remains the same after executing "copy".

Answer 12

Native win32 ports of many unix commands, including touch.

I've used it before and it works well - no installation, no DLLs, etc

Answer 13

Try this one from CodeProject.

• No need to install.
• If you want, you can even modify the source.

• Yan Sklyarenko: While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes.

Answer 14

This content can be saved to a reg file. This will add a right click context menu for all files with the "Touch File" ability (tested on Windows 7). Copy all the following lines to reg file. Run the file and approve the question. Right click on any file (or multiple files) - "Touch File" option is now available.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\Touch File]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\Touch File\command]
@="cmd /C copy /b \"%1\" +,,"

• Neoheurist: My preferred approach by far

Answer 15

You could also install Cygwin which gives you Touch as well as a plethora of other *NIX commands.

• jweede: can't live on windows without cygwin.
• Ahe: And cygwin without mintty is pretty lame.
• Daniel Kaplan: Today, I would recommend WSL in a mintty terminal.

Answer 16

There are Windows ports of many Unix utilities. Have a look at unxutils or GnuWin32 projects.

Answer 17

From a similar question on Stack Overflow.

For updating timestamps (ignoring the other functionality of touch), I'd go with:

copy /b filename.ext +,,

• fixer1234: This is a repeat of Gish Domains's answer from 2 yrs prior, without the explanation.

Answer 18

in PowerShell try:

ni fileName.txt

NI is an alias of the New-Item cmdlet.

• hBy2Py: Welcome to SuperUser. Thanks for posting! Can you add a link to a website that provides more information about the ni command, and perhaps describe more what the command does?
• I say Reinstate Monica: The New-Item cmdlet can't be used to update the time stamp of an existing file.
• MikeMurko: While it doesn't update timestamp, it does create a new file, which is what touch does. +1 from me.
• RufusVS: I usually use touch to create files, but occasionally to update timestamps (to force a remake for example)

Answer 19

How about codeproject "Touch for Windows": http://www.codeproject.com/KB/applications/touch_win.aspx

edit; Same question as here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/51435/windows-version-of-the-unix-touch-command/51439

• facepalmd: Thanks. I missed that in my search which resulted in loads of touch screen phone related stuff. Probably needs a better tag label I guess.

Answer 20

from the website:

Funduc Software Touch is a free 'touch' utility that allows you to change the time/date &/or attribute stamps on one or more files. In addition, FS Touch can add/subtract a specified number of seconds from the existing file time. You can specify which file(s) and/or subdirectories to change via 'complex file masks'. The program can be run from interactively or the command line. New to version 7.2 is a command line switch to change file modified time stamp +/- the specified number of seconds.

FS Touch runs on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, & Windows 8.

Answer 21

If you are using git for one or more projects, the mingw based git-bash for Windows has the touch command. I want to thank @greg-hewgill for pointing out to me that 'nix utilities exist for windows, because it was that which put me on the idea to try touch in git-bash.

Answer 22

I wanted the 'touch' feature of cloning / duplicating the file dates from another file, natively, and be usable from a batch file.

So 'drag and drop' video file on to batch file, FFMPEG runs, then 'Date Created' and 'Date Modified' from the input file gets copied to the output file.

This seemed simple at first until you find batch files are terrible at handling unicode file names, in-line PowerShell messes up with file name symbols, and double escaping them is a nightmare.

My solution was make the 'touch' part a seperate PowerShell script which I called 'CLONE-FILE-DATE.ps1' and it contains:

param
(
 [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)][string]$SourcePath,
 [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)][string]$TargetPath
)
(GI -LiteralPath $TargetPath).CreationTime = (GI -LiteralPath $SourcePath).CreationTime
(GI -LiteralPath $TargetPath).LastWriteTime = (GI -LiteralPath $SourcePath).LastWriteTime

Then here is example usage within my 'CONVERT.BAT' batch file:

%~dp0\ffmpeg -i "%~1" ACTION "%~1-output.mp4"
CHCP 65001 > nul && PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -File "%~dp0\CLONE-FILE-DATE.PS1" "%~1" "%~1-output.mp4"

I think the PowerShell is readable, so will just explain the batch speak:

%~dp0 is the current directory of the batch file.

%~1 is the path of the file dropped onto the batch without quotes.

CHCP 65001> nul sets characters to UTF-8 and swallows the output.

-ExecutionPolicy ByPass allows you to run PowerShell without needing to modify the global policy, which is there to prevent people accidentally running scripts.

Answer 23

Save the following as touch.bat in your %windir%\system32 folder or add the folder in which it is saved to your PATH environment variable:

@echo off
if %1.==. goto end
if not exist %1 goto end
copy /b %1 +,, > nul
echo %1 touched!
:end

Sample usage:

touch *.cpp
touch somefile.c

Reference: Microsoft KB 69581

• Bogdan Gavril MSFT: Excellent! No external stuff, just copy. And of course most of us need it as a batch stript:)

Answer 24

I found a quick way to do it if you have vim installed (not great for big files, will open entire file then close it...)

vim foobar.txt +wq!

The "+" sets argument to run the following commands. "wq!" is "write, quit, force". This will open file, do a save, then close it immediately afterward.

• MD XF: Pointlessly complex, bulky and non-portable. -1
• leetbacoon: @MDXF As is many windows command line workflows.

Answer 25

Well, if you really want to have the touch command available, you can put this in a batch file called touch.bat and stick it in C:\Windows:

TYPE NUL >>%1

Simple enough.

• Nate: This method does NOT update the Modified Time on the following platforms: Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, Windows 10

Answer 26

In powershell:

New-Item .\file.txt -ItemType File

I prefer to write touch file.txt like in linux, so I define this in my powershell profile

function New-File($filename)
{
 New-Item -ItemType File ".\$filename"
}
Set-Alias -Name touch -Value New-File

Note: you can edit your profile by running this command

notepad $PROFILE

Answer 27

Try

fsutil file createnew new.txt 0

• Keith Thompson: The FSUTIL utility requires that you have administrative privileges. -- and it doesn't behave like touch for existing files.

Answer 28

The five alternatives mentioned above, plus three more not mentioned here, can be found on SuperUser: "Windows Recursive Touch Command"

• Yan Sklyarenko: While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes.

Answer 29

This is slightly unrelated to the original question, but I find this very useful on Windows due to the GUI.

I'm using the TouchPro utility which provides a GUI (builds into explorer shell):

http://www.jddesign.co.uk/products/touchpro/touchpro.htm

Answer 30

I appreciate this is an old question, I just discovered touch on my Windows 10 system. I downloaded and installed Git from here (I think) and it looks like touch and various other utilities are in the bin folder.