python / python/cpython

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:

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.

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First steps

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  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. 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

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