RunAsDate: Run Any Program At A Specific Date/Time [Windows]

RunAsDate is a freeware portable application for Windows users.

Developed by NirSoft, RunAsDate allows you to run a program in the date and time that you specify. The program doesn’t change the current system date and time of your computer, instead it injects the date/time that you specify into the desired application. One of the advanced feature offered by this software is it allows you to run multiple applications simultaneously. Each application works with different date and time, while the system date/time remains unaffected. We have covered many useful utilities developed by NirSoft: DevManViewWebSiteSnifferCleanAfterMe, and WhatInStartup.

The developer reports that the mechanism behind RunAsDate is it intercepts the kernel API calls that returns the current date and time (GetSystemTime, GetLocalTime, GetSystemTimeAsFileTime). After that it replaces the current date/time with the date/time that you specify.

How to use RunAsDate?

RunAsDate is completely portable and doesn’t need any additional DLL files. To start using RunAsDate, simply download and copy the executable file (RunAsDate.exe) to any folder you like, and run it. In the main window of RunAsDate, select the desired date and time and the application that you want to run. There is also an option to Move the time forward, and then there is a new mode called “Immediate Mode.” Optionally, you can also specify the command-line parameters to run the program. Press the “Run” button to start the application with custom date/time set by you.

runasdate

The specialty of ‘Immediate Mode’ is that when it is enabled, RunAsDate inject the date/time immediately when the process starts, without waiting for the kernel to load first. However, this mode can sometime cause trouble, especially if they were written in .NET. If executing of an application from RunAsDate cause it to crash, you should turn off the ‘Immediate Mode’.

RunAsDate Limitations:

  • RunAsDate only works on 32-bit Windows applications. You cannot use it for old DOS 16-bit programs or for 64-bit Windows applications.
  • RunAsDate will not affect applications that take the current date/time from another source. For example: application that loads the current date from remote server.

RunAsDate works under Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Older versions of Windows are not supported. The is also x64 version available in a separated download, for using with x64 applications.

Information: According to the developer, AVG Antivirus falsely reports that RunAsDate is infected with “Trojan horse Generic 10.THK”.

Download RunAsDate | Download RunAsDate for x64

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