How to See Who Last Modified a File Windows 10?

Are you curious to know who was the last person to make changes to a file on your Windows 10 computer? Maybe you left a document open on a shared computer and you want to know who else had access to it. Well, if you’re using Windows 10, you can easily find out who last modified a file. In this guide, we’ll show you how to quickly and easily see who last modified a file on Windows 10.

How to View Who Last Modified a File in Windows 10

In Windows 10, you can easily view who last modified a file or folder. Using Windows 10’s File Explorer, you can view the date and time a file was last modified, as well as the user account that was used to modify the file. This article will provide detailed instructions on how to view who last modified a file in Windows 10.

Viewing Date and Time of Last Modification

The first step you need to take in order to view who last modified a file in Windows 10 is to open the File Explorer. To do this, click the File Explorer icon in the taskbar, or press the Windows + E keys on your keyboard. Once the File Explorer window is open, navigate to the file or folder you want to view the last modified information for.

Next, right-click on the file or folder and select the “Properties” option. This will open a new window that contains detailed information about the file or folder. In the “General” tab, you will find the date and time the file or folder was last modified.

Viewing User Account of Last Modification

The second step in viewing who last modified a file or folder in Windows 10 is to open the “Security” tab of the file or folder’s properties. To do this, right-click on the file or folder and select the “Properties” option. Then, click on the “Security” tab. In the “Security” tab, you will find the user account that was used to last modify the file or folder.

Advanced File Explorer Options

For more advanced users, File Explorer offers additional options for viewing who last modified a file or folder. To access these options, click on the “View” tab in the File Explorer window and then click on the “Options” button. This will open a new window with a variety of options. Click on the “View” tab and then check the box next to “Show Last Modified By”. This will cause File Explorer to display the user account that was used to last modify the file or folder.

Using Command Prompt

For users who are comfortable working with the command line, it is also possible to view who last modified a file or folder using the command prompt. To do this, open the command prompt window by pressing the Windows + R keys on your keyboard, then typing “cmd” in the Run box. Next, type the following command and press enter: “dir/q”. This will list the user account that was used to last modify each file and folder in the current directory.

Using PowerShell

For more advanced users, PowerShell can also be used to view who last modified a file or folder. To do this, open the PowerShell window by pressing the Windows + R keys on your keyboard, then typing “powershell” in the Run box. Next, type the following command and press enter: “Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Force | Select-Object LastWriteTime, Owner | Sort-Object -Property LastWriteTime”. This will list the user account that was used to last modify each file and folder in the current directory.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is File Modification?

File modification, or file modification date, is a term used to describe the date and time that a file was last changed. This information is helpful when troubleshooting a problem, determining when a file was modified, or determining when a file was last accessed. File modification dates are not always reliable, as they can be changed manually, or be reset if a file is moved from one system to another. Additionally, some applications can override the file modification date, such as certain backup programs.

2. How do I view the File Modification Date in Windows 10?

In Windows 10, you can view the file modification date by right-clicking on a file and selecting “Properties”. In the “General” tab of the file’s Properties window, you will see the “Date modified” field, which will show the date and time that the file was last modified.

3. How do I view who last modified a file in Windows 10?

In Windows 10, you can view who last modified a file by right-clicking on the file and selecting “Properties”. In the “General” tab of the file’s Properties window, you will see the “Author” field, which will show the user account that last modified the file.

4. How do I view the file modification history in Windows 10?

In Windows 10, you can view the file modification history by right-clicking on the file and selecting “Properties”. In the “Version history” tab of the file’s Properties window, you will see a list of all the changes that have been made to the file, including the date and time of the modification and the user account that made the change.

5. What if the file was modified by someone other than the user account that is currently logged in?

If the file was modified by someone other than the user account that is currently logged in, the “Author” field in the file’s Properties window will still display the user account that last modified the file. Additionally, the “Version history” tab of the file’s Properties window will still show all the changes that were made to the file, including the user account that made the change.

6. Can I view the file modification history of files in different folders?

Yes. In Windows 10, you can view the file modification history of files in different folders by opening the folder containing the files and selecting “Properties” from the “View” tab. Once you have opened the folder’s Properties window, you will see a list of all the files in the folder, along with information such as the date and time of the modification and the user account that made the change.

How to list out file and folder by last modified date using Windows command line Dir

Learning how to see who last modified a file in Windows 10 is a useful skill for any computer user. With the help of this article, you now know the steps to find out who changed, created, or accessed a file on your Windows 10 system. It is important to know who last modified a file on your system to protect your data and maintain the integrity of your system. The steps are simple and easy to follow, making it a great way to keep track of the activity on your system. Now, you can rest assured that your data is secure and no unauthorized modifications have been made.