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SysAdmin Shell Scripting Essentials

PowerShell Touch: CLI Reference for File Creation & Timestamps

4 min read

powershell touch is a custom function or alias that replicates Unix touch behavior in PowerShell. It creates an empty file if missing or updates its last-write time.

function touch { param([string]$Path) if (Test-Path $Path) {(Get-Item $Path).LastWriteTime = Get-Date} else {New-Item -Path $Path -ItemType File} }
# Add to profile: notepad $PROFILE, paste function, save, reload with . $PROFILE

Usage Examples

1. Create an empty file if it does not exist

New-Item -Path .config.ini -ItemType File -Force

New-Item with -Force creates the file if missing; if it exists, it does not overwrite contents (unlike Unix touch). The -ItemType File is required in PowerShell 5.1; in newer versions, the default is assumed when an extension is present. Using -Force does not update timestamps; to mimic touch, use the custom function above.

2. Update timestamp of an existing file

function Update-FileTimestamp {
    param([string]$Path)
    if (Test-Path $Path) {
        (Get-Item $Path).LastWriteTime = Get-Date
    } else {
        Write-Warning "File '$Path' not found."
    }
}
Update-FileTimestamp -Path "C:Logsapp.log"

This function mirrors touch -a on Unix. It only updates the last-write timestamp without altering file content. Using Get-Item and assigning LastWriteTime is the fastest method. Avoid Set-ItemProperty which is slower.

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3. Create multiple files with a loop

1..5 | ForEach-Object { New-Item -Path "file$_.txt" -ItemType File -Force }

Using ForEach-Object with a range creates five numbered empty files. -Force ensures no error if a file already exists (it will simply be left untouched). For strict touch behavior (update timestamps on existing files), wrap in a custom function that modifies LastWriteTime.

To set an alias for convenience, run: Set-Alias touch Update-FileTimestamp (or Set-Alias touch touch if you defined the function named touch).

Troubleshooting & Common Errors

Error Message/Condition Root Cause Resolution
“Cannot find path ‘X’ because it does not exist” Directory in path does not exist. Create parent directory first: New-Item -Path (Split-Path $Path -Parent) -ItemType Directory -Force
“Access to the path ‘X’ is denied” Insufficient permissions or file locked. Run PowerShell as Administrator or check file handle with Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.Handle -ne 0}. Use handle.exe from Sysinternals.
File created with BOM (UTF-16LE) Using echo $null > file or "" > file in PowerShell. Use New-Item -Path file -ItemType File or [System.IO.File]::CreateText($Path).Dispose() to avoid BOM. The latter creates UTF-8 without BOM.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between `New-Item -ItemType File` and `Out-File` for creating an empty file?

Answer: New-Item -ItemType File creates a zero‑byte file; Out-File without input creates a file with a newline character (0x0A).

`New-Item` produces a truly empty file. `Out-File` with an empty pipeline (e.g., `”” | Out-File` or just `Out-File`) writes a BOM and newline on Windows. Use `New-Item` for exact touch behavior.

New-Item -Path "empty.txt" -ItemType File

When should I use the `-Force` flag with `New-Item` to create a file?

Answer: Use `-Force` when you want to overwrite an existing file or create missing parent directories without error.

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Without `-Force`, `New-Item` fails if the target file exists or the parent path doesn’t exist. With `-Force`, it overwrites the file (like Unix `touch`’s side effect) and creates intermediate directories automatically.

New-Item -Path "./subdir/example.log" -ItemType File -Force

How do I fix ‘Access to the path is denied’ when using `New-Item`?

Answer: Run PowerShell as Administrator, change file permissions with `icacls`, or target a writable directory.

This error occurs when the process lacks write permission to the target folder or file. Verify ownership and ACLs: check `Get-Acl`, then grant write access if required. For system locations, elevate to admin.

icacls "C:ProtectedDir" /grant "Users:(OI)(CI)W"
New-Item -Path "C:ProtectedDirtest.file" -ItemType File

Does `New-Item -ItemType File` work on PowerShell Core (Cross-platform)?

Answer: Yes, `New-Item -ItemType File` works identically on Windows, Linux, and macOS in PowerShell 7+.

PowerShell Core (6.x and 7.x) is fully cross‑platform. The cmdlet creates a zero‑byte file on all OSes. Unix‑style symbolic links (`-ItemType SymbolicLink`) also work natively.

# Works on Linux/macOS
New-Item -Path "~/touch_test.txt" -ItemType File

What is the fastest way to create an empty file in PowerShell?

Answer: Use `New-Item -ItemType File` or the alias `ni`; both are ~5ms per file and require no pipeline overhead.

Avoid `Out-File` or `Set-Content` – they add I/O overhead. For bulk operations, pipe to `New-Item` using the `-Path` parameter directly. Minimal syntax:

ni test.txt
# Or for multiple files
'f1.txt','f2.txt' | ni -ItemType File