win32-setctime
A small Python utility to set file creation time on Windows
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you are on Windows and need to set file creation times programmatically. The package is stable, has no dependencies, and installs easily. The dormant maintenance status is not a concern for a small, single-purpose utility with no external dependencies. Not applicable on non-Windows systems.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Windows-only; will not work on macOS or Linux systems.
- Low friction to install; no runtime dependencies.
- Maintenance is dormant—last commit was 2024-12-07, but the package is marked Production/Stable and has seen no recent activity requiring updates.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT license (permissive) — MIT license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely with minimal restrictions, including in commercial software.
last release 2024-12-07 (615 days) · last repo commit 2024-12-07 · 47 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 6,270,976 downloads/mo, #1,943 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
from win32_setctime import setctime
setctime("my_file.txt", 1561675987.509, follow_symlinks=True)- Whether the package handles edge cases like symbolic links correctly across all supported Windows versions.
- Performance characteristics when setting timestamps on large numbers of files in batch operations.
What it is and what it does
win32-setctime is a small, focused utility that wraps Windows API calls to set file creation timestamps from Python. It exposes a single function, setctime(), that takes a file path, a Unix timestamp, and optional symlink-following behavior. The package has no runtime dependencies and installs as a pure Python wheel.
This is useful when you need precise control over file metadata on Windows—for instance, when restoring files from backups, synchronizing timestamps across systems, or implementing custom file management workflows. The package supports Python 3.5 through 3.13 and is marked Production/Stable, though development has been dormant since its last release.
Use it for
- Restore original file creation timestamps when extracting or copying files from backups on Windows.
- Synchronize file timestamps between a source and destination during file mirroring or replication tasks.
- Implement custom file archival or version-control workflows that require precise creation-time metadata.
- Automate batch file timestamp corrections for compliance or audit purposes on Windows systems.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you are on Windows and need to set file creation times programmatically.
The package is stable, has no dependencies, and installs easily. The dormant maintenance status is not a concern for a small, single-purpose utility with no external dependencies. Not applicable on non-Windows systems.
Install
win32-setctime on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction to install; no runtime dependencies. Maintenance is dormant—last commit was 2024-12-07, but the package is marked Production/Stable and has seen no recent activity requiring updates.
Windows-only; will not work on macOS or Linux systems.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely with minimal restrictions, including in commercial software.
Quickstart
from win32_setctime import setctime
setctime("my_file.txt", 1561675987.509, follow_symlinks=True)Verify before relying
- Whether the package handles edge cases like symbolic links correctly across all supported Windows versions.
- Performance characteristics when setting timestamps on large numbers of files in batch operations.
Package facts
| License | MIT license permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.5 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Dormant 615 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 6,270,976 / month, #1,943 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: Win32 (MS Windows)Intended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishOperating System :: MicrosoftProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonTopic :: System :: Filesystems |
Evidence: win32_setctime-1.2.0-py3-none-any.whl
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