os.stat last accessed attribute updating last accessed value

[Jon Clements]

On Feb 4, 9:33 pm, Python_Junkie <software.buy.des... at gmail.com>
wrote:
> I am trying to obtain the last accessed date.  About 50% of the files'
> attributes were updated such that the file was last accessed when this
> script touches the file.
> I was not opening the files
>
> Anyone have a thought of why this happened.
>
> Python 2.6 on windows xp

Read up on NTFS - but on some file systems - to check a file access
time is, well umm, is accessing it. Also possible that listing a
directory is considered an access. It's the least useful of all
records - I've only ever possibly wanted modification or creation
times.

hth,
Jon.