os.stat access and modify time same on WinXP

[Peter Hansen]

rbt wrote:
> I'm using the standard NTFS file system. The only time the access time 
> is updated is when the file is modified or saved (with no changes). 
> What's up with that? Shouldn't a read/view update the access time?

See 
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_punq.asp

Quoting:
'''
The Last Access Time on disk is not always current because NTFS looks 
for a one-hour interval before forcing the Last Access Time updates to 
disk. NTFS also delays writing the Last Access Time to disk when users 
or programs perform read-only operations on a file or folder, such as 
listing the folder's contents or reading (but not changing) a file in 
the folder. If the Last Access Time is kept current on disk for read 
operations, all read operations become write operations, which impacts 
NTFS performance.

Note

     * File-based queries of Last Access Time are accurate even if all 
on-disk values are not current. NTFS returns the correct value on 
queries because the accurate value is stored in memory.
'''

Does that help?

(Just went through this myself the other day.)
-Peter