Last accessed date on file properties

[Guest brianF]

This is my first post so here goes. Under the properties of "local"

files, the last access date is showing up with today's date and time

when they are known not to have been open today. Is the event of

checking the properties on files considered accessing the files?

Microsoft's website indicates that the date and time is only changed

with the act of opening the files. Could this bea sign of a security

breach? I have been able to replicate this on many machines running xp

sp2. Any help would be appreciated