Files last modified date on Windows

Question

How can I prove that the last modified date of a file is indeed the true date on Windows? I have to prove to one of my teachers that I had finished one of my papers in time. He said that "the computer time" isn't reliable.

I think there is a way to do it. I know that there are tools that give access to properties of a file that a user don't normally have access to. So is there a way to prove that I didn't manipulate anything?

I tried to find haw much time passed form the day i last finished that paper. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Your teacher is right. It would be easy for you to reset the system clock a few days back and edit the file again. Therefore, the timestamp on your computer would be that older, wrong date.

So essentially, you have no way to prove to your teacher that you did in fact finish your homework on time.

There are ways to prove you finished something on time, but all of those involve putting the file somewhere else (essentially a place where you don't control the computer's time). Which means putting it on a server somewhere - and then you could just as well email it to your teacher (like you probably were supposed to do).