Windows Live Mail 2012 running on Windows 10 Home:

I was comparing the dates of emails in my WLM Inbox folder (and other
folders) to the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder at C:\Users \Boris\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Boris\Inbox.

I noticed that the dates of the emails in my WLM Inbox folder are different than the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder.

https://postimg.cc/6T3zRz75

I did notice that the date column in the Store Folder is named "Date Modified", and is always later in time than the date of the same email in the WLM Inbox folder. Sometimes I've seen a difference of four or more hours.

Why is this?

Thanks.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sat, 4/11/2026 9:13 PM, Boris wrote:

Windows Live Mail 2012 running on Windows 10 Home:

I was comparing the dates of emails in my WLM Inbox folder (and other folders) to the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder at C:\Users \Boris\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Boris\Inbox.

I noticed that the dates of the emails in my WLM Inbox folder are different than the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder.

https://postimg.cc/6T3zRz75

I did notice that the date column in the Store Folder is named "Date Modified", and is always later in time than the date of the same email in the
WLM Inbox folder. Sometimes I've seen a difference of four or more hours.

Why is this?

Thanks.

Date the email was sent # Line inside the file ?
Date the email was received #
File system created/modified date #

The values could be in Local Time or in UTC.

A four hour difference could be Local in one case, UTC in the other ?

Paul

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 4/11/2026 6:13 PM, Boris wrote:

Windows Live Mail 2012 running on Windows 10 Home:

I was comparing the dates of emails in my WLM Inbox folder (and other folders) to the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder at C:\Users \Boris\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Boris\Inbox.

I noticed that the dates of the emails in my WLM Inbox folder are different than the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder.

https://postimg.cc/6T3zRz75

I did notice that the date column in the Store Folder is named "Date Modified", and is always later in time than the date of the same email in the WLM Inbox folder. Sometimes I've seen a difference of four or more hours.

Why is this?

Thanks.

WLM12, the email date in the message pane is the received date(should be
the same as in the message's source/properties received date)

WLM12, user profile folder store folder for the email account is File
Explored configurable for date columns(Created and Modified).
One can compare those two columns and the result can be different
dates for Created and/or Modified - neither using the actual message's metadata receipt date - and both with different time stamps.

The first answer to your question - The email date in WLM12 and the
*.eml file store date(created or modified) do not use the same metadata source.

The second answer, since WLM2008, the same bug(i.e. a bug of record for
each and every WLM RTM release(2008, 2009, 2011, 2012) but always
relegated to the the 'Won't fix' circular file.
-the most common report of this date bug was for the created and
modified date for the *.eml file in the store folder not the same as the message receipt(in WLM12's message pane) - which you and many others
have questioned and validated the difference - once again now 17 yrs
later after first being reported.
=> Why? the store folder date(its own metadata) may/can be updated
whenever the *.eml is opened or accessed(in WLM or in File Explorer)

Iirc - one of the easiest ways to see this issue, is to look in the
Sent Items folder for a message(why Sent - most sent messages are rarely opened again in WLM after being sent) - open the Store folder with the
same message(might want to configure File Explorer to show Date
Modified, Date Created and Title), compare the dates in WLM and File
Explorer, then open the message in WLM, close the message and WLM, then re-compare - the message date in WLM should remain the same, the date in
the store folder may change(i.e. its own meta data being updated).



At one time there was a suggested reg hack[1] to stop WLM from updating
the Date Modified field by deletion of this reg key. \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PropertySystem\PropertyHandlers\.eml


[1] *Caution* - this 15 yr old reg hack is global, at that time and now,
was only and ever intended for Windows where WLM was the sole email
client and WLM as the sole handler(default) for *.eml files.


--
...w­¤?ñ?¤

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 4/11/2026 7:33 PM, Paul wrote:

On Sat, 4/11/2026 9:13 PM, Boris wrote:

Windows Live Mail 2012 running on Windows 10 Home:

I was comparing the dates of emails in my WLM Inbox folder (and other
folders) to the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder at C:\Users >> \Boris\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Boris\Inbox.

I noticed that the dates of the emails in my WLM Inbox folder are different >> than the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder.

https://postimg.cc/6T3zRz75

I did notice that the date column in the Store Folder is named "Date
Modified", and is always later in time than the date of the same email in the
WLM Inbox folder. Sometimes I've seen a difference of four or more hours. >>
Why is this?

Thanks.

Date the email was sent # Line inside the file ?
Date the email was received #
File system created/modified date #

The values could be in Local Time or in UTC.

A four hour difference could be Local in one case, UTC in the other ?

Paul

See my reply...for this long standing reported bug.
= different metadata sources.

--
...w­¤?ñ?¤

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 4/11/2026 7:33 PM, Paul wrote:

On Sat, 4/11/2026 9:13 PM, Boris wrote:

Windows Live Mail 2012 running on Windows 10 Home:

I was comparing the dates of emails in my WLM Inbox folder (and other
folders) to the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder at C:\Users >> \Boris\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Boris\Inbox.

I noticed that the dates of the emails in my WLM Inbox folder are different >> than the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder.

https://postimg.cc/6T3zRz75

I did notice that the date column in the Store Folder is named "Date
Modified", and is always later in time than the date of the same email in the
WLM Inbox folder. Sometimes I've seen a difference of four or more hours. >>
Why is this?

Thanks.

Date the email was sent # Line inside the file ?
Date the email was received #
File system created/modified date #

The values could be in Local Time or in UTC.

A four hour difference could be Local in one case, UTC in the other ?

Paul

See my reply for this long standing bug.
- different metadata sources.


Note: I also should have mentioned, File Explorer is also configurable
to show 'Date Received' column for WLM's Inbox(and other) Store folders.
i.e. if you really need to see the same date(in WLM and its store
folder), add the Date Received column and ignore or deselect the
Modified and/or Created column. :)

--
...w­¤?ñ?¤

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 4/11/2026 6:13 PM, Boris wrote:

Windows Live Mail 2012 running on Windows 10 Home:

I was comparing the dates of emails in my WLM Inbox folder (and other folders) to the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder at C:\Users \Boris\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Boris\Inbox.

I noticed that the dates of the emails in my WLM Inbox folder are different than the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder.

https://postimg.cc/6T3zRz75

I did notice that the date column in the Store Folder is named "Date Modified", and is always later in time than the date of the same email in the WLM Inbox folder. Sometimes I've seen a difference of four or more hours.

Why is this?

Thanks.

WLM12, the email date in the message pane is the received date(should be
the same as in the message's source/properties received date)

WLM12, user profile folder store folder for the email account is File
Explored configurable for date columns(Created and Modified).
One can compare those two columns and the result can be different
dates for Created and/or Modified - neither using the actual message's metadata receipt date - and both with different time stamps.

The first answer to your question - The email date in WLM12 and the
*.eml file store date(created or modified) do not use the same metadata source.

The second answer, since WLM2008, the same bug(i.e. a bug of record for
each and every WLM RTM release(2008, 2009, 2011, 2012) but always
relegated to the the 'Won't fix' circular file.
-the most common report of this date bug was for the created and
modified date for the *.eml file in the store folder not the same as the message receipt(in WLM12's message pane) - which you and many others
have questioned and validated the difference - once again now 17 yrs
later after first being reported.
=> Why? the store folder date(its own metadata) may/can be updated
whenever the *.eml is opened or accessed(in WLM or in File Explorer)

Iirc - one of the easiest ways to see this issue, is to look in the
Sent Items folder for a message(why Sent - most sent messages are rarely opened again in WLM after being sent) - open the Store folder with the
same message(might want to configure File Explorer to show Date
Modified, Date Created and Title), compare the dates in WLM and File
Explorer, then open the message in WLM, close the message and WLM, then re-compare - the message date in WLM should remain the same, the date in
the store folder may change(i.e. its own meta data being updated).



At one time there was a suggested reg hack[1] to stop WLM from updating
the Date Modified field by deletion of this reg key. \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PropertySystem\PropertyHandlers\.eml

[1] *Caution* - this 15 yr old reg hack is global, at that time and now,
was only and ever intended for Windows where WLM was the sole email
client and WLM as the sole handler(default) for *.eml files.

--
...w­¤?ñ?¤

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

=?UTF-8?B?Li4ud8Khw7HCp8KxwqTDsQ==?= <winstonmvp@gmail.com> wrote in news:10rfef3$2bj0u$2@dont-email.me:

On 4/11/2026 6:13 PM, Boris wrote:

Windows Live Mail 2012 running on Windows 10 Home:

I was comparing the dates of emails in my WLM Inbox folder (and other
folders) to the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder at
C:\Users \Boris\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Boris\Inbox.

I noticed that the dates of the emails in my WLM Inbox folder are
different than the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder.

https://postimg.cc/6T3zRz75

I did notice that the date column in the Store Folder is named "Date
Modified", and is always later in time than the date of the same email
in the WLM Inbox folder. Sometimes I've seen a difference of four or
more hours.

Why is this?

Thanks.

Thanks for the reply.

I have WLM12 installed on a Windows 10 laptop.
I have WLM12 installed on a Windows 11 laptop.
I have WLM11 installed on a Windows 7 laptop.

Unless otherwise noted, WLM behaves the same on all laptops.

WLM12, the email date in the message pane is the received date(should be
the same as in the message's source/properties received date)

The date/time shown in the Properties>Details>Message Source is always
exactly seven hours ahead of the date/time shown in the message pane. If
the message pane shows 10:42 AM, the Message Source shows Sun, 12 Apr 2026 17:42:50 +0000. Interesting.

WLM12, user profile folder store folder for the email account is File Explored configurable for date columns(Created and Modified).
One can compare those two columns and the result can be different
dates for Created and/or Modified - neither using the actual message's metadata receipt date - and both with different time stamps.

The first answer to your question - The email date in WLM12 and the
*.eml file store date(created or modified) do not use the same metadata source.

I did add a Created and Title column in File Explorer, as you suggested,
and did notice that the Created, Modified, and metadata time stamps were
all different.

The second answer, since WLM2008, the same bug(i.e. a bug of record for
each and every WLM RTM release(2008, 2009, 2011, 2012) but always
relegated to the the 'Won't fix' circular file.
-the most common report of this date bug was for the created and
modified date for the *.eml file in the store folder not the same as the message receipt(in WLM12's message pane) - which you and many others
have questioned and validated the difference - once again now 17 yrs
later after first being reported.
=> Why? the store folder date(its own metadata) may/can be updated whenever the *.eml is opened or accessed(in WLM or in File Explorer)

Iirc - one of the easiest ways to see this issue, is to look in the
Sent Items folder for a message(why Sent - most sent messages are rarely opened again in WLM after being sent) - open the Store folder with the
same message(might want to configure File Explorer to show Date
Modified, Date Created and Title), compare the dates in WLM and File Explorer, then open the message in WLM, close the message and WLM, then re-compare - the message date in WLM should remain the same, the date in
the store folder may change(i.e. its own meta data being updated).

I don't know why, but my Sent folder never shows that there are any unread messages, even though I don't go there and read a message I have sent, and
I also have File>Options>Mail>Read "Mark message read after displaying" unchecked. All other email folders do show if there are any unread
messages. So in order to see if Date Modified changed when opening an
email for the first time, I selected an unread message in the Deleted
folder.

I followed your directions, above, and the Date Modified did change when I opened an unread email.

Now, the only difference in bahavior between the WLMs on each Windows
laptop, is with the Windows 10 laptop. On this laptop, when I click on
any message in the Store Folder at C:\Users\Boris\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Boris\any folder...rather than displaying the message, I'm taken back the WLM
program, even if I say "Open with WLM". In order to open an email in the
Store Folder, I have to use another email program such as Betterbird.

At one time there was a suggested reg hack[1] to stop WLM from updating
the Date Modified field by deletion of this reg key. \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PropertySys tem\PropertyHandlers\.eml

Not gonna touch that.

[1] *Caution* - this 15 yr old reg hack is global, at that time and now,
was only and ever intended for Windows where WLM was the sole email
client and WLM as the sole handler(default) for *.eml files.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Daniel70 <daniel47@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in news:10rier6$3785l$1@dont-email.me:

On 13/04/2026 8:41 am, Boris wrote:

=?UTF-8?B?Li4ud8Khw7HCp8KxwqTDsQ==?= <winstonmvp@gmail.com> wrote in
news:10rfef3$2bj0u$2@dont-email.me:

On 4/11/2026 6:13 PM, Boris wrote:

Windows Live Mail 2012 running on Windows 10 Home:

I was comparing the dates of emails in my WLM Inbox folder (and other
folders) to the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder at
C:\Users \Boris\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live
Mail\Boris\Inbox.

I noticed that the dates of the emails in my WLM Inbox folder are
different than the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder.

https://postimg.cc/6T3zRz75

I did notice that the date column in the Store Folder is named "Date
Modified", and is always later in time than the date of the same
email in the WLM Inbox folder. Sometimes I've seen a difference of
four or more hours.

Why is this?

Thanks.

Thanks for the reply.

I have WLM12 installed on a Windows 10 laptop.
I have WLM12 installed on a Windows 11 laptop.
I have WLM11 installed on a Windows 7 laptop.

Unless otherwise noted, WLM behaves the same on all laptops.

WLM12, the email date in the message pane is the received date(should
be the same as in the message's source/properties received date)

The date/time shown in the Properties>Details>Message Source is always
exactly seven hours ahead of the date/time shown in the message pane.
If the message pane shows 10:42 AM, the Message Source shows Sun, 12
Apr 2026 17:42:50 +0000. Interesting.

Boris, where in the World are you situated??

I'm guessing the "Sun, 12 Apr 2026 17:42:50 +0000." might be Greenwich
Mean Time (GMT) (so London time) and the "10:42 AM" (i.e. 7hrs behind
GMT) might place you Middle/Western U.S.A. or equivalent.

Your are correct. I just thought it interesting that the Message Source
uses UTC time stamps.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.14
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 4/12/2026 3:41 PM, Boris wrote:

I have WLM12 installed on a Windows 10 laptop.
I have WLM12 installed on a Windows 11 laptop.
I have WLM11 installed on a Windows 7 laptop.

- no one should be using WLM11 on any device, it the most bug laden
and unfixed version of every single version released. It was primarily intended for Vista Compatibility(an interim release while WLM12 was
being worked on - which incidentally actually pre-dated the start of
working on WLM11).
-i.e. Version 11 was just a patch, and a horrible one - claimed(by Microsoft) for Vista and Win7, even when WLM12 for Win7 was being
tested. WLM11 primary purpose was to introduce the Ribbon for use and telemetry and for syncing(by a Microsoft/Live account signon) Hotmail
type accounts(Hotmail, Live, MSn.com) for email, contacts, calendar(more telemetry/feedback). One might call it WLM12's public beta.

Unless otherwise noted, WLM behaves the same on all laptops.

WLM12, the email date in the message pane is the received date(should be
the same as in the message's source/properties received date)

The date/time shown in the Properties>Details>Message Source is always exactly seven hours ahead of the date/time shown in the message pane. If
the message pane shows 10:42 AM, the Message Source shows Sun, 12 Apr 2026 17:42:50 +0000. Interesting.

Answered - different metadata.
WLM and Store folder 'Date Created' use the same source for the date.

I did add a Created and Title column in File Explorer, as you suggested,
and did notice that the Created, Modified, and metadata time stamps were
all different.

Normal

I don't know why, but my Sent folder never shows that there are any unread messages, even though I don't go there and read a message I have sent, and
I also have File>Options>Mail>Read "Mark message read after displaying" unchecked. All other email folders do show if there are any unread
messages. So in order to see if Date Modified changed when opening an
email for the first time, I selected an unread message in the Deleted
folder.

When a message is indexed to the Sent folder, it is not indexed as an
unread message. In fact, it, iirc, is not indexed to appear in the Store folder until the message is opened in WLM's Sent folder.
- i.e. it's not 'stored' until it is opened.
=> Which is why I mentioned, Sent messages(in the Sent folder) are
rarely read after being sent. They need to be opened to be stored.
- not much different than downloaded but unread news messages - need
to opened to be indexed and saved to their respective store folder.

I followed your directions, above, and the Date Modified did change when I opened an unread email.

Now, the only difference in bahavior between the WLMs on each Windows
laptop, is with the Windows 10 laptop. On this laptop, when I click on
any message in the Store Folder at C:\Users\Boris\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Boris\any folder...rather than displaying the message, I'm taken back the WLM
program, even if I say "Open with WLM". In order to open an email in the Store Folder, I have to use another email program such as Betterbird.

On my devices, I don't configure WLM as the default for mail(eml) or
neww(nws) as default program, but I do configure WLM as the Windows
Default app for filetype *.eml.
- clicking on an *.eml file in the store folder opens WLM.

You might find that Betterbird or other email program is configured as
default app to *.eml file type or that no app is configured for that
same filetype.

At one time there was a suggested reg hack[1] to stop WLM from updating
the Date Modified field by deletion of this reg key.
\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PropertySys
tem\PropertyHandlers\.eml

Not gonna touch that.

Good choice.



--
...w­¤?ñ?¤

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.14
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026-04-12 04:33, Paul wrote:

On Sat, 4/11/2026 9:13 PM, Boris wrote:

Windows Live Mail 2012 running on Windows 10 Home:

I was comparing the dates of emails in my WLM Inbox folder (and other
folders) to the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder at C:\Users >> \Boris\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Boris\Inbox.

I noticed that the dates of the emails in my WLM Inbox folder are different >> than the dates of the same .eml files in the Store Folder.

https://postimg.cc/6T3zRz75

I did notice that the date column in the Store Folder is named "Date
Modified", and is always later in time than the date of the same email in the
WLM Inbox folder. Sometimes I've seen a difference of four or more hours. >>
Why is this?

Thanks.

Date the email was sent # Line inside the file ?
Date the email was received #
File system created/modified date #

The values could be in Local Time or in UTC.

There are several timestamps inside an email, and they have time zone
info. The file system timestamp should be irrelevant.

A four hour difference could be Local in one case, UTC in the other ?

Paul

--
Cheers, Carlos.
ES??, EU??;

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.14
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)