When a folder contains files such as Word, Excel, PPT, txt, md, json, xml, and others simultaneously, modifying the access time one by one can be very inefficient. This article uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to explain how to batch set the access time in file system attributes through the file organization feature of office software, and illustrates the purpose, results, and precautions of each step with screenshots before processing, during the setup, and after processing.
In daily office work, many files do not exist in a single format. A project material folder may contain Word documents (docx), Excel spreadsheets (xlsx), PowerPoint presentations (pptx), txt text files, Markdown documents (md), json configuration files, and xml data files simultaneously. File content can be opened by different software, but they all share one commonality: they all have file attribute times at the operating system level, such as creation time, modification time, and access time.
If you now need to uniformly set the access time of these files to a specific date, for example, 2026-07-01 00:00:00, manual operation would be very troublesome. You would need to right-click each file one by one, view properties, confirm the time, and find ways to adjust them individually. The more files there are, the more apparent the repetitive work becomes, and the greater the chance of errors.
This article will introduce a method more suitable for office scenarios: using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch modify the access time in file system properties. It is a software designed for batch processing of office files, suitable for resolving multi-file, multi-format, and highly repetitive organization tasks. Through the following steps, you can set the access time of a batch of files in different formats to a specified time at once.
Applicable Scenarios: Why Batch Set File Access Time
Access time is one of the common time fields in Windows file properties. It is not the same concept as whether the file content has been modified, but it is often a focus in file management, archiving, sorting, testing, and migration scenarios.
The following scenarios are particularly suitable for batch setting access time:
- Unified archiving date: Uniformly set a batch of deliverable files, reference files, or historical files to a specific access time for easier subsequent management.
- Organizing mixed-format folders: When a directory contains various files like docx, xlsx, pptx, txt, md, json, xml, etc., that need to be processed according to the same rule.
- Preparing demo or test data: When you need to construct a batch of sample files with consistent file attributes for software demonstrations, automated testing, or training environments.
- Correcting file attributes after migration: After files are copied, synchronized, or restored from backup, the time attributes may not match expectations and need to be re-unified.
- Reducing manual repetitive operations: When the number of files is large, a batch tool is more efficient than manual processing one by one and makes it easier to maintain rule consistency.
It should be emphasized that this article deals with the "access time in file system properties," not modifying the body of Word content, nor changing Excel spreadsheet data, and certainly not renaming files. Therefore, regardless of whether the file is doc, docx, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx, or txt, md, json, xml, as long as it is added to the processing list as a file, it can be batch processed according to file attributes.
Effect Preview: Access Time Shows Old Value Before Modification
First, look at the state before processing. The screenshot shows the Windows properties window for 2.docx. In the "General" tab, you can see the file type is Microsoft Word Document, and the location is D:\test. The field marked with a red box is "Accessed," and its current value is September 6, 2016, 3:01:45 AM.
This screenshot illustrates two key points. First, access time is an independent field in the system properties window, displayed alongside creation time and modification time. Second, the access time before processing does not match the target time we want to set. If there are 10, 100, or even more files in the folder, checking and modifying them one by one would be very inefficient.
Therefore, the subsequent operational goal is: to add the files to be processed into HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , and set a unified fixed time solely for the "Access Time."
Effect Preview: Access Time Changes to Specified Date After Modification
After processing is complete, check the properties of the same 2.docx file again. You will see that the accessed time in the red box has changed to July 1, 2026, 12:00:00 AM. This corresponds to the 2026-07-01 00:00:00 set in the software, indicating that the access time has been updated as expected.
From the before-and-after comparison, it's clear that this operation emphasizes changing the access time in the file attributes, not modifying the document content. For users needing to batch-unify file metadata, this method better suits practical office needs: set once, apply to multiple files, and then just spot-check the results afterward.
Operating Steps: Batch Setting Access Time to a Specified Date
Below, following the software interface screenshots, the complete operational flow is detailed. For ease of understanding, this article uses 10 files in the D:\test folder as an example, which includes formats like txt, docx, md, xlsx, json, xml, pptx, etc.
Step One: Enter the File Management Feature from the Main Interface
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , first observe the left navigation bar. Categories like Homepage, Task Flow, All Tools, File Name, Folder Name, File Management, Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, Text Tools, Image Tools, etc., can be seen in the interface.
Since access time is a file system attribute and not the body content of a document format, you should select File Management here. After entering File Management, find the Modify Time in File System Attributes feature card on the right. The interface description indicates this function can batch modify the creation time, modification time, and access time in the operating system attributes of any file.
The purpose of this step is to select the correct processing tool. Many users mistakenly think Word files need to be processed in Word tools, or Excel files in Excel tools. However, access time is an operating system attribute, and the processing object is the "file itself," so entering from the File Management entrance is more accurate.
After clicking this feature card, the software will open the task page for "Modify Time in File System Attributes," ready for the file selection phase.
Step Two: Import Files to be Processed and Verify the List
After entering the task page, the first step is "Select records to be processed." The upper right of the interface provides two common entry points: Add Files and Import Files from Folder. If files are scattered in different locations, you can use Add Files; if files are concentrated in a specific folder, importing from the folder is more convenient.
In the screenshot, 10 records have been imported. The table lists the file sequence number, name, path, extension, creation time, modification time, and operations. Example files include:
- 1.txt, extension txt;
- 2.docx, 10.docx, extension docx;
- 3.md, 4.md, extension md;
- 5.xlsx, extension xlsx;
- 6.json, extension json;
- 7.xml, extension xml;
- 8.pptx, extension pptx.
In this step, focus on verifying three types of information. First is the file count; the bottom shows 10 records, meaning this task will process 10 files. Second is the file path, for example, D:\test\2.docx, ensuring the files come from the correct directory. Third is the extension, confirming no unneeded files were mistakenly added to the list.
If you find files in the list that don't need processing, you can remove them using the delete icon in the operations column; if the file list needs to be re-selected, you can use "Clear" and then import again. After verification, click Next at the bottom to enter the processing option settings.
Step Three: Enable Only the Access Time Switch
After entering "Set Processing Options," the page will display three configurable time items: Creation Time, Modification Time, Access Time. Each time item has a switch before it to decide whether to modify this field in this session.
This article's goal is batch setting file access time, so you only need to enable Access Time. In the screenshot, the access time switch is on, while creation time and modification time remain off. The benefit of this approach is preventing accidental modification of creation time and modification time, only processing the target field.
After enabling access time, a specific setting area will appear below. In the screenshot, the "Type" is selected as Fixed Time, and the time input box is filled with 2026-07-01 00:00:00. This means all files imported into the list will be attempted to be set to the same access time.
If your actual need is to unify an archiving date, delivery date, or test date, a fixed time is usually most suitable. When filling in the time, it's recommended to keep the complete format, including year, month, day, hour, minute, and second, to avoid unexpected results due to incomplete formatting.
Step Four: Read the Prompt and Continue the Wizard
Above the access time setting area, the software displays a yellow prompt: As the operating system does not update file access time in real-time and may be affected by anti-virus software or other application software, modifications may fail; please refer to the actual effect.
This prompt is very important. Access time is a system-level attribute; different Windows settings, security software policies, and file occupancy states can all affect the final write and display. Therefore, before formally batch processing important files, it is recommended to first test with a small number of sample files and confirm the results through the file properties window after processing.
After confirming the access time settings are correct, click Next at the bottom. According to the interface flow, subsequent steps will enter the "Set Save Location" and "Start Processing" phases. Since the core of this task is modifying file system attributes, users should follow the software wizard to continue confirming and start processing.
Step Five: Spot-Check Multiple Files After Processing is Complete
After batch processing is complete, it is not advisable to rely solely on the task completion prompt. You should also go back to File Explorer to spot-check the results. You can prioritize checking 2.docx from this example, as the pre-processing screenshot recorded its old access time. Right-click the file to open properties, check the access time in the "General" tab. If it displays July 1, 2026, 12:00:00 AM, it indicates that the file has been successfully updated.
To confirm the batch effect, you can also continue to spot-check other file formats, such as 1.txt, 5.xlsx, 8.pptx, 6.json, etc. This can determine whether different types of files all completed the access time modification according to the same rule.
Frequently Asked Questions and Notes
1. Will modifying access time change the file content?
No. Access time is a time field in the file system attributes, and has no direct relationship with Word body text, Excel cell content, or PPT slide content. The target of the operations in this article is file attributes, not editing file content.
2. Why is it recommended to only enable the access time switch?
Because the requirement of this article is batch setting access time. If creation time or modification time is enabled simultaneously, other attribute fields will be affected. For archived files or official materials, creation time and modification time may have retention value, so simultaneous modification is not recommended without a clear requirement.
3. Why might the displayed access time be inconsistent after modification?
The software interface has already prompted that the operating system does not update file access time in real-time and may be affected by anti-virus software or other application software. Therefore, for a few individual files, the displayed result might be inconsistent with expectations due to system policies, permissions, occupancy status, etc. After processing, the actual effect in the file properties window should prevail.
4. Can a file be processed while it is open?
Not recommended. For instance, if a docx is open in Word, an xlsx is being edited in Excel, or a pptx is being played or edited in PowerPoint, the file might be occupied. To increase the success rate of batch modification, related files and programs that might occupy files should be closed before processing.
5. Can an entire folder be processed?
As seen in the screenshots, the software provides an "Import Files from Folder" button, suitable for batch adding files from the same directory to a task. This is a more efficient method than adding files one by one for organizing a large number of office files. After importing, it is still recommended to check the list to confirm the file count, paths, and extensions.
6. Is a backup needed before batch processing?
A backup is recommended. Although modifying access time typically doesn't involve file content, batch operations act on multiple files simultaneously. For important materials, client deliverables, archived files, or audit-related files, it is safer to make a backup copy first before processing.
Summary: Batch Setting Access Time Makes File Management More Efficient
Batch modifying file access time is a typical office efficiency scenario: the requirement is clear, the operation is repetitive, and the number of files can be large. If relying entirely on manual processing one by one, it is not only time-consuming but also prone to omissions and inconsistent settings. Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can centrally import files of different formats, enable only the access time in the "Modify Time in File System Attributes" function, and set it to a specified date, thereby quickly completing unified processing.
If you are organizing a directory containing files like docx, xlsx, pptx, txt, md, json, xml, you can follow this article's process: first import files, then set a fixed access time, finally start processing and spot-check the attribute results. For users who frequently need to batch process files, this type of office software can effectively reduce repetitive work, leaving more time for tasks that truly require judgment and management.