Windows os.stat and os.fstat report different st_ctime_ns values
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Description
Bug description:
On Windows, os.stat(path).st_ctime_ns and os.fstat(fd).st_ctime_ns can differ for the same file.
I ran the example below on Windows 11 with NTFS. It fails with both official Python 3.14.7 Windows builds: ARM64 running natively and x64 running under emulation. The same-file assertion passes, but the timestamp assertion fails. Both st_birthtime_ns values equal os.stat(path).st_ctime_ns.
In the 3.14.7 code:
_Py_attribute_data_to_statassignsFILE_BASIC_INFO.ChangeTimetost_ctime._Py_fstat_noraisereturns that result.os_fstat_impldoes not change the timestamp.win32_xstatreplacesst_ctimeand its nanoseconds withst_birthtimefor compatibility.
Commit a01fb672 added that compatibility step. The discussion in #102149 says st_ctime should continue returning creation time during the deprecation period. Should fstat() do the same?
In #117354, DirEntry.stat() was changed to return creation time during the same deprecation period, following #117267.
Example:
import os
import time
from pathlib import Path
from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
with TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
path = Path(directory) / "example.txt"
path.write_text("before")
time.sleep(0.1)
path.write_text("after")
with path.open("rb") as source:
by_path = os.stat(path)
by_fd = os.fstat(source.fileno())
print("stat ctime:", by_path.st_ctime_ns)
print("fstat ctime:", by_fd.st_ctime_ns)
print("stat birthtime:", getattr(by_path, "st_birthtime_ns", None))
print("fstat birthtime:", getattr(by_fd, "st_birthtime_ns", None))
assert os.path.samestat(by_path, by_fd)
assert by_path.st_ctime_ns == by_fd.st_ctime_ns
Output from the official Python 3.14.7 ARM64 build:
stat ctime: 1789643317486473600
fstat ctime: 1789643317591142500
stat birthtime: 1789643317486473600
fstat birthtime: 1789643317486473600
The final assertion raises AssertionError.
CPython versions tested on:
- 3.10.20 (conda-forge build): timestamps match.
- 3.14.6 (Anaconda build): timestamps differ.
- 3.14.7: timestamps differ with both official Windows embeddable builds, ARM64 and x64.
Operating systems tested on:
Windows 11 ARM64, build 26200.9457, in Parallels Desktop. The test files were on NTFS. The ARM64 Python build ran natively and the x64 build ran under Windows emulation.
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start with Python/fileutils.c at _Py_attribute_data_to_stat and _Py_fstat_noraise, then inspect Modules/posixmodule.c at os_fstat_impl and win32_xstat. Run the supplied reproduction on Windows and verify that os.stat() and os.fstat() report matching st_ctime_ns values while preserving the shown birth-time behavior.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- python
- Domain
- operating-systems
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Estimated time
- 1-2 days
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 72/100