Preserve file creation dates

[Enquiries]

How do you preserve file creation dates when copying files between a Synology and Mac?

[ed]

If you’re copying files using Finder, unfortunately macOS will often reset the creation date to the time of copy, even if the modification date is preserved. To retain both, you’ll want to use Terminal-based tools or third-party apps.

Here are a couple of effective methods:

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1. Use rsync with proper flags (via Terminal):

rsync -aE /source/folder/ /destination/folder/

2. Use cp with metadata flags (macOS 13+):

cp -a /source/file /destination/

3. Use third-party software:
• ChronoSync or Carbon Copy Cloner can sync files with full metadata support.
• These are more reliable for scheduled backups or large folder migrations.

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Note: If copying from Mac to Synology, creation dates might still get overwritten unless Synology’s file system fully supports macOS metadata — EXT4/Btrfs doesn’t handle HFS+/APFS metadata natively.

If creation date is absolutely critical (e.g. for photos), consider storing metadata inside the file (like EXIF for images) as a fallback.