Finding the correct date of a PDF document

[rachel_0587]

Hi all

I work in a university library.  I was helping a student identify the date a PDF document was created or last modified. I used Chrome and clicked document properties and it said 28/11/2014. However, when the student tried, it said 04/12/13. 

How can this discrepancy have occurred please?

It is important to know an accurate date when students are referencing.

Many thanks

Rachel

[MikelKlink · Accepted solution]

There can be two sets of metadata in a PDF, the old info dictionary and the newer metadata streams. PDF processors are expected to keep those two sets in sync, but when they do differ, some PDF processors display the data from one source and some from the other.

[MikelKlink · Accepted solution]

There can be two sets of metadata in a PDF, the old info dictionary and the newer metadata streams. PDF processors are expected to keep those two sets in sync, but when they do differ, some PDF processors display the data from one source and some from the other.

[try67 · Accepted solution]

There's also the file information itself. None of these have to match, and you can't rely on any of them to be accurate.

[rachel_0587]

Thanks for your guidance

[rachel_0587]

Thanks for your reply