Last access date app?

[weese237]

Hi!
I have an external hard drive that I have used for years for downloads. It has about 800 folders in it and thousands of files, in total, inside those folders. I need to get rid of a lot of it as there are software that hasn't been used for years and no longer needed. My memory isn't what it used to be so I don't even remember what some of those are. I'm slowly deleting but wondered if there was a quicker way of finding out when was the last time a folder was accessed/used to make it safe to delete without going in each folder. I figure if I haven't used it in a couple of years, I don't need it.

Not sure if something like this exist or not. I don't trust the "date access" from file explorer as it sometimes or most times isn't accurate. The Date Modified is often earlier than the date created.

Thanks,

[jolas]

Set your folder view in Details view and right-click the empty space column headings. Select from the drop down list Date Accessed.

[stuck]

...I don't trust the "date access" from file explorer as it sometimes or most times isn't accurate. The Date Modified is often earlier than the date created.

I think trusting 'Date Accessed' is your only option, since whatever Windows utility you use, be it File Explorer or a third party application, the only way that application can know when a file was last accessed would be to read the 'Date Accessed' attribute.

NB while 'Date Modified' has never had a good reputation for reliability, 'Date Modified' is not the same file attribute as 'Date Accessed' (or 'Date Created').

Ken

[weese237]

That's what I suspected. Thanks for confirming that.

Have a good day!

[BobH]

@jolas
I'm not very good at following instructions. When I right click in the area highlighted in the attached pic, I get a drop down menu that includes a 'date modified' option, but it does not provide a 'last accessed' option. I'm running windows 10.

What am I doing wrong?

FEx Details view.PNG

[stuck]

...What am I doing wrong?

1) RIGHT clicked on a column header
2) Choose the 'More' option at the bottom of the drop down list
3) Scroll down the list of all available columns until you find 'Date accessed'
4) Tick the box
5) OK out

Ken

[weese237]

Right mouse click on one of the headers like "type" or "size" and you will get a drop down with tons of new categories to choose from. Click on the "more" to see lots more.

[weese237]

Ken had a much better explanation than I.

[BobH]

Thank you both!

I am far too literal when it comes to computers. After trying by right clicking a listed column header instead the blank space, I looked for 'last accessed' instead of 'date accessed'. Now I have it ticked.

FWIW, I discovered that Everything also has a 'date accessed' option which I found by right clicking a listed column header.

[weese237]

Great! Didn't realize that with Everything. Will check it out!

Thanks again,