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I assume many of you use download managers. I use the Free Download Manager, and I like it a lot. But I am confused about how this valuable tool determines the date and time of the file it downloads.

For example, I downloaded the PDF file from
https://www.cusd80.com/cms/lib/AZ01001175/Centricity/Domain/10180/The%20Crucible%20Anchor%20Text.pdf

And it sets the file's date-time as following
| Created: ‎Friday, ‎September ‎20, ‎2019, ‏‎6:12:36 PM

When I checked HTTP headers, I found this information
| last-modified: Wed, 12 Sep 2018 15:22:28 GMT

When I checked the creation date-time recorded in the PDF file, I found
| Created: Wed, 12 Sep 2018 8:21:12 GMT

Does anyone have any idea where the 2019 date listed above comes from?

Ωmega
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  • @KJ – The link works fine. Also, the downloader should not use alternative source for this file, I believe. – Ωmega May 27 '22 at 20:07
  • @KJ – It works even with Incognito mode (no cookies). I assume you're experiencing some geo-blocking – Ωmega May 28 '22 at 17:34
  • @Ωmega It doesn't work for me either - *"Request blocked. We can't connect to the server for this app or website at this time. There might be too much traffic or a configuration error. Try again later, or contact the app or website owner. If you provide content to customers through CloudFront, you can find steps to troubleshoot and help prevent this error by reviewing the CloudFront documentation. "* – mkl May 29 '22 at 07:12
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    Seems like FDM uses the file's original modified date which is bloody annoying. Wishing there was a setting for that in FDM preferences, but there isnt. – Jimbo Nov 04 '22 at 05:50

2 Answers2

4

uncheck the option "use server time for file creation" under preferences -> general -> downloads. this will the creation time actual download time

whitecrow
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When you download a file It has a date the file was stored on the server in this case we see the server file modified date

curl -i https://www.cusd80.com/cms/lib/AZ01001175/Centricity/Domain/10180/The%20Crucible%20Anchor%20Text.pdf
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/pdf
Content-Length: 6020870
Connection: keep-alive
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2023 20:41:22 GMT
Cache-Control: private

Last-Modified: Fri, 20 Sep 2019 22:12:36 GMT

Accept-Ranges: bytes
ETag: "921b4682070d51:0"
Server: Microsoft-IIS/8.5
Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains;
X-XSS-Protection: 1; mode=block
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
Content-Security-Policy: frame-ancestors 'self' https://*.ally.ac;
X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN
X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
Vary: Accept-Encoding
X-Cache: Miss from cloudfront
Via: 1.1 64f1d594216061fb1311499e08a4ee1a.cloudfront.net (CloudFront)
X-Amz-Cf-Pop: LHR61-P4
X-Amz-Cf-Id: 0e3WxAEhhry-z_piciSaut39s-PqkiC2llRWUKETJ8P_P-Jsu5FRvA==

The time is relative to time zone so on download the local times may be hours different. Note the difference with my curl time (22:12) and OP observation of 6:12 PM (18:12)

My copy says current time for both created and mod because I simply download without a File Manager with

curl -O https://www.cusd80.com/cms/lib/AZ01001175/Centricity/Domain/10180/The%20Crucible%20Anchor%20Text.pdf

Internally the file has multiple dates but the two most commonly shown will be via file details but neither nor both have to be shown.

enter image description here

3 0 obj
<</CreationDate(D:20180912082112)/Creator(PDFium)/Producer(PDFium)>>
endobj

NOTE: the time inside or outside a PDF does not need to be true it can be past or future but must be not less than any 4 digits for a nominal year. However for certain tests all dates should concur for all of one or all of the other except when using update tracking, but can still be spoofed, to say modified before creation!

K J
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