Original date taken: I have lots of photos where the date created in EXIF are incorrect. Any way to restore the original date?

bohleber Loc: southern Indiana

I have lots of photos where the date created in EXIF are incorrect. Any way to restore the original date?

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

https://www.geckoandfly.com/7987/how-to-change-exif-data-date-and-camera-properties-with-free-editor/
--Bob

bohleber wrote:

I have lots of photos where the date created in EXIF are incorrect. Any way to restore the original date?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

bohleber wrote:

I have lots of photos where the date created in EXIF are incorrect. Any way to restore the original date?

It depends on the scope of the issue. If you feel confident on command line programming, a freeware tool like EXIFTOOL can batch update the files. I've done it that way, but finding the correct string of command-line parameters was a challenge.

Typically, I use a purchased-tool called EXIF Date Changer. The 'pro' version comes from https://www.relliksoftware.com/ for $15. I update the EXIF of all my scanned film so I use it regularly, well worth the $15.

bohleber Loc: southern Indiana

What happened was a "friend" copied my old HD to a new one and since then many of the "date taken" dates are wrong. They are wrong when I look at the information in PSE Elements. Many of them show dates that I KNOW are wrong. ??!!

Don

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

bohleber wrote:

What happened was a "friend" copied my old HD to a new one and since then many of the "date taken" dates are wrong. They are wrong when I look at the information in PSE Elements. Many of them show dates that I KNOW are wrong. ??!!

Don

'Date Taken' is inside the image file in the EXIF and is different from the 'file created' as seen by the OS. Are you sure you're looking at the correct value as copying files shouldn't update the image's date-taken value.

Scanned images will typically have the scanning-date rather than the shooting date of the scanned image. Certainly, my film from the 1980s shouldn't be reporting 2021 as the shooting-date, but that was when the images were 'taken' as in scanned to a JPEG. The tools mentioned in the reply above are used to edit any of the several date-related values in the EXIF, updating the JPEGs to reflect the actual years / dates of the film dates.

bohleber Loc: southern Indiana

I guess I'm an idiot. All I looked at is the Information field attached to each photo. There the metadata-file properties it shows Date Created and Date Modified. Many have the wrong date created. Will the software you mentioned be able to find the ACTUAL date the photo was taken?

thx, Don

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

bohleber wrote:

I guess I'm an idiot. All I looked at is the Information field attached to each photo. There the metadata-file properties it shows Date Created and Date Modified. Many have the wrong date created. Will the software you mentioned be able to find the ACTUAL date the photo was taken?

thx, Don

Yes, download the free version of the Date Changer. I forget the limits, whether what fields it will update or won't run in batch, but you should get an idea of how / what it can do. Primarily, you'll be worried about the shooting date, but you can have all the dates updated together to the same date.

I went to my notes for EXIFTOOL, there's a 'global timeshift' command I've used in the past that updates the following:

File Modification Date/Time
File Access Date/Time
File Creation Date/Time
Zip Modify Date

Updated based on the feedback from running a test command.

bohleber Loc: southern Indiana

I need to use the least complicated software out there because just about all I know about computers is how to punch the keys! lol

Thanks again, Don

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

bohleber wrote:

I need to use the least complicated software out there because just about all I know about computers is how to punch the keys! lol

Thanks again, Don

The EXIF Date Changer is a GUI interface with 4 tabs covering the various different settings. It really is just a 'collector' to run the EXIFTOOL with the properly formatted parameters.

Nigel7 Loc: Worcestershire. UK.

If you use Photoshop, you can use Bridge to change the "Date Created" in the IPTC Core but not in the File Properties.

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

bohleber wrote:

What happened was a "friend" copied my old HD to a new one and since then many of the "date taken" dates are wrong. They are wrong when I look at the information in PSE Elements. Many of them show dates that I KNOW are wrong. ??!!
Don

If you are using Windows, it is very easy to change, add to, delete any of the exif data.
In File Explorer click on the folder your photos are in.
There will be a bar across the top, giving you a lot of possibilities for display.
Select "Details".
You will now have a list of the photos in that folder, as well as several columns with different headers.
Right-click on any of the headers, from the pop-up that shows then, you can select what columns you want to add or remove.
If that is not sufficient for your needs, from that same pop-up select "more" at the very bottom. The next pop-up should keep you out of mischief for a while, as there are so many options of items you can add to your tags. Some auto-fill, some you type in yourself.
I suggest you make a new folder, copy some photos to it, and play with this feature for a bit so you understand it and see what it actually does.
Have fun!

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

bohleber wrote:

I have lots of photos where the date created in EXIF are incorrect. Any way to restore the original date?

It souinds like you are using PSE. Yes, you can change the date right in elements, in the edit mode. here is a link to a video, It shows how to edit all the editable metadata.

https://www.georgepeirson.com/how-to-edit-metadata-using-adobe-photoshop-elements/

For bulk edit others have given goo info and programs to use.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Or - put them in a folder with the correct date in the title. I do that with scanned prints and old slides.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

CHG_CANON wrote:

'Date Taken' is inside the image file in the EXIF ... (show quote)

Exactly. There are 2 very different (actually more) dates of a photo, file date, photo date. You see the date the FILE was created when you view the contents of a folder in Windows Explorer. The "Date Taken" column (when in details view, if chosen in view) is mislabeled, it is original FILE (of this version) date. There is also a FILE modified date. You must then right click an individual file, select properties, select details tab to see the PHOTO taken date.

Guyserman Loc: Benton, AR

Morning Star wrote:

If you are using Windows, it is very easy to chang... (show quote)

Change the display but actually change the data???