Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates in Windows 10  

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    Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates in Windows 10

    Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates in Windows 10

    How to Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates in Windows 10
    Published by Category: General Tips
    30 May 2021
    Designer Media Ltd



    How to Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates in Windows 10


    The Last Access Time stamp displays an updated time each file and folder on a NTFS volume was last accessed.

    In the System Managed mode, the NTFS driver can enable or disable the “Last Access” updates during the boot (in particular, when the system volume is mounted). The “Last Access” updates are enabled for NTFS volumes when the size of the system volume (which is usually mounted as the “C:” drive) is 128 GB or less. If the system volume is larger, then the “Last Access” updates are disabled.

    In the User Managed mode, the status of the “Last Access” updates isn’t modified by the system during the boot. "Last Access" will stay enabled or disabled as you set.

    Value Description
    0 User Managed, Last Access Time Updates Enabled
    1 User Managed, Last Access Time Updates Disabled
    2 (default) System Managed, Last Access Time Updates Enabled
    3 System Managed, Last Access Time Updates Disabled
    Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates in Windows 10-command.png

    See also:

    Having the Last Access Time stamp enabled on an older or slower computer may cause file access to take longer.

    This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the NTFS Last Access Time stamp updates for all users in Windows 10.

    You must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable the Last Access Time stamp.

    This tutorial is only valid in Windows 10 version 1803 and higher.



    Contents

    • Option One: Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates using Command
    • Option Two: Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates using a REG file
    • Option Three: Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates using a BAT file



    EXAMPLE: Last Access Time stamp

    The Date accessed column in File Explorer details view is not there by default unless added.

    Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates in Windows 10-accessed_on_properties_page.png Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates in Windows 10-date_accessed_in_file_explorer_details_view.jpg






    OPTION ONE

    Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates using Command


    1 Open an elevated command prompt or elevated PowerShell console window.

    2 Copy and paste the command below you want to use into the elevated console window, and press Enter.

    (See current status of Last Access Time Updates)
    fsutil behavior query disablelastaccess

    OR

    (User Managed, Last Access Time Updates Enabled)
    fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess 0

    OR

    (User Managed, Last Access Time Updates Disabled)
    fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess 1

    OR

    (Default - System Managed, Last Access Time Updates Enabled)
    fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess 2

    OR

    (System Managed, Last Access Time Updates Disabled)
    fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess 3

    3 Close the elevated console window.

    4 Restart the computer to apply.






    OPTION TWO

    Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates using a REG file


    The downloadable .reg files below will modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

    NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate DWORD

    80000000 (hex) = User Managed, Last Access Time Updates Enabled
    80000001 (hex) = User Managed, Last Access Time Updates Disabled
    80000002 (hex) = System Managed, Last Access Time Updates Enabled
    80000003 (hex) = System Managed, Last Access Time Updates Disabled


    1 Do step 2 (user enabled), step 3 (user disabled), step 4 (system enabled), or step 5 (system disabled) below for what you would like to do.


    2 User Managed, Last Access Time Updates Enabled (0)

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.

    User_Managed,_Last_Access_Updates_Enabled.reg

    Download


    3 User Managed, Last Access Time Updates Disabled (1)

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.

    User_Managed,_Last_Access_Updates_Disabled.reg

    Download


    4 System Managed, Last Access Time Updates Enabled (2)

    This is the default setting.

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.

    DEFAULT_System_Managed,_Last_Access_Updates_Enabled.reg

    Download


    5 System Managed, Last Access Time Updates Disabled (3)

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.

    System_Managed,_Last_Access_Updates_Disabled.reg

    Download


    6 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    7 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

    8 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    9 Restart the computer to apply.

    10 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.






    OPTION THREE

    Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates using a BAT file


    Special thank you to Paul Black for providing the BAT file in this option.


    1 Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below.

    Enable_or_Disable_Last_Access_Time_Stamp_Updates.bat

    Download

    2 Save the BAT file to your desktop.

    3 Unblock the BAT file.

    4 Right click or press and hold on the BAT file, and click/tap on Run as administrator.

    5 If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes to approve.

    6 Type a number for the option you want. (see screenshot below)

    7 When processing is complete, you can press any key to exit.

    Enable or Disable NTFS Last Access Time Stamp Updates in Windows 10-time_stamp_updates.png


    That's it,
    Shawn Brink



  1. margaretcollins
    Posts : 2
    Windows 10 home version 2004 build 19041.450
       New #1

    Trying to optimize an SSD by disabling this feature. Have tried both user and system options in cmd, powershell and registry, but on reboot it always reverts to ....002, system enabled. What am I missing?
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  2. Brink
    Posts : 64,510
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #2

    margaretcollins said:
    Trying to optimize an SSD by disabling this feature. Have tried both user and system options in cmd, powershell and registry, but on reboot it always reverts to ....002, system enabled. What am I missing?
    Hello Margaret, and welcome to Ten Forums.

    I'm seeing the same issue on my system, but I'm not sure why the value is automatically getting reset back to its default 2 on restart.
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  4. margaretcollins
    Posts : 2
    Windows 10 home version 2004 build 19041.450
       New #3

    Thanks for the quick response. My guess (since your original post was a year ago) is one of the Windows updates since then has disabled user control. I even tried resetting registry in ControlSet for NTFSdisablelastaccess which is for servers but it also reset to 2 on reboot.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  5. Guy001
    Posts : 9
    Windows 10 1909 Pro 64-bit
       New #4

    It seems like 0+1 and 2+3 are switched.
    I had NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate set to 80000001 but I noticed that the times were still being updated, so I ran fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess 1 and it wrote DisableLastAccess = 1 (User Managed, Enabled), then I ran disablelastaccess 0 which said (User Managed, Disabled)
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  7. Brink
    Posts : 64,510
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    Guy001 said:
    It seems like 0+1 and 2+3 are switched.
    I had NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate set to 80000001 but I noticed that the times were still being updated, so I ran fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess 1 and it wrote DisableLastAccess = 1 (User Managed, Enabled), then I ran disablelastaccess 0 which said (User Managed, Disabled)
    Hello Guy,

    I doubled checked everything in the tutorial to see if a mistake may have been made somewhere, but it all checks out.

    Just to verify, did you restart the computer to apply and changes to the setting?
      My Computers
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  8. Guy001
    Posts : 9
    Windows 10 1909 Pro 64-bit
       New #6

    Brink said:
    Just to verify, did you restart the computer to apply and changes to the setting?
    Ok I just did and it still updates the access time so I'm not sure what's going on.
    When I write fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess it outputs the same table as in your instructions but when I enter the specific set number it reports the opposite. I'll try and figure this out..
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  9. Brink
    Posts : 64,510
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #7

    Guy001 said:
    Ok I just did and it still updates the access time so I'm not sure what's going on.
    When I write fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess it outputs the same table as in your instructions but when I enter the specific set number it reports the opposite. I'll try and figure this out..
    Also run the fsutil behavior query disablelastaccess command to see what it reports the current setting is after you change it to see if it matches.
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  10. versat
    Posts : 1
    Windows 10
       New #8

    Brink said:
    Also run the fsutil behavior query disablelastaccess command to see what it reports the current setting is after you change it to see if it matches.
    I also wondered why the behavior on two systems was exactly inverted and found that the values and their meaning really seem to have switched:
    System 1 (Windows 10 Enterprise 1903) where the last access time is NOT stored:
    Code:
    >fsutil behavior query disablelastaccess
DisableLastAccess = 2  (System Managed, Disabled)

Registry value of NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate is 0x80000002
    System 2 (Windows 10 Enterprise 1909) where the last access time is stored:
    Code:
    >fsutil behavior query disablelastaccess
DisableLastAccess = 3  (System Managed, Enabled)

Registry value of NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate is 0x80000003
    I have found explanations for the registry values also on other sites where it also is inverted and really wondered why it behaves completely different for me. But since others observed the same thing it really seems to have changed.
      My Computer
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  11. Brink
    Posts : 64,510
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #9

    Hello @versat, and welcome to Ten Forums.

    That is odd since the last access time hasn't been tracked in Windows for quite some time now.

    I can only assume that it may have been enabled at some point, or something about it being an Enterprise edition.
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

 

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