01 Insert your MicroSD memory card
Ensure your camera is powered off. Holding the MicroSD memory card in the orientation shown, and paying special attention to the direction of its “fin”, slide it straight into the slot until it clicks into place.
02 Connect the camera to your computer
Using the USB-C cable provided, connect your camera to your PC or laptop using a USB cable. Your camera is will turn on automatically, since it has recognized that it is now connected to a power source. While connected, it will recharge passively. Wait a few moments for your computer to recognize the camera as a removable storage device.
03 Access the MicroSD Card via your computer
Open File Explorer (press Windows + E for quick access). In the left-hand pane, click on This PC. Look for the camera’s storage, usually labeled by the camera’s brand or model name, and double-click it to open. You are now accessing the camera’s MicroSD card directly through your computer.
04 Locate the internal clock configuration file
On the MicroSD card, you will find a folder labeled “PHOTO”, a folder labeled “VIDEO”, and a standard text file titled “time.txt”—this is the configuration file we’re looking for. Double-click the file to open it using Notepad or your preferred text editor.
05 Modify the time
The timestamp configuration will be in the format [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS N], where [YYYY] = year, [MM] = month, [DD] = day, [HH] = hour(0–24), [MM] = minute, [SS] = second, and the [N] directly following the seconds refers to the day of the week. See the key below:
File Symbol Meaning:
YYYY -- Year
MM -- Month
DD -- Day
HH -- Hour (24)
SS -- Minute
MM -- Second
N Day of the week
0 -- Sunday
1 -- Monday
2 -- Tuesday
3 -- Wednesday
4 -- Thursday
5 -- Friday
6 -- Saturday
In the example below, the date is May 11th 1999, and the time is exactly 12AM midnight. The day has not been set.
In this next example, the date is May 11th 1999, and the time is 3 seconds past 4:47PM in the afternoon. The day of the week was not set, as indicated by N not being in the form of a 0–6 number.
In the final example, the date is May 11th 1999, and the time is exactly 3:10AM. Since the variable N has now been set to a numerical value, specifically 5, we now know that it it’s Friday according to our key.
Using your keyboard, substitute the values to your preference. For optimal aesthetics, we recommend a year selection somewhere in the vicinity of the year 2000.
IMPORTANT(!): the [N] day-of-the-week variable has particularly special importance, as assigning a value to it other than N enables the digital timestamping feature on your 1990\retro. When you choose to set N to a number of your choosing between 0 and 6, all future photos and videos that you take will contain a superimposed timestamp along its bottom edge correlated with the camera’s internal clock, giving your memories a truly captivating vintage aesthetic. If you do not want your photos and videos to contain a timestamp, simply leave N unassigned and as-is. If you decide to turn on timestamping, but then change your mind, you can always disable or re-enable the feature within the “time.txt” at any time. When N is a number, timestamping is enabled. When N is N, no digital timestamping will occur.
06 Save the Modified Configuration File
After making changes, click File in the top-left corner of Notepad and select Save. Close the text editor after saving.
IMPORTANT(!): It is not recommended to change the 1990\retro’s “time.txt” internal clock configuration file filename. Doing so may result in your camera being unable to update its internal clock or change your most-recent timestamping preferences.
07 Safely Disconnect the Camera from the Computer
In the system tray (bottom-right corner of the screen), find the Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media icon. Click the icon and select your camera from the list of connected devices. Wait for confirmation that it is safe to disconnect. After you receive confirmation, you may unplug your USB-C cable from the camera and computer and the camera will automatically power off.
08 Power on the Camera
Press the camera’s [ON | OFF | CAPTURE] button for 2.5 seconds to power it on and view your newly applied settings. Your new date and time will now be shown on the bottom of the camera’s display screen, and, if you chose to assign a numerical value other than N to the day-of-the-week “N” variable, all of your photos and videos will be digitally timestamped with the time correlated with the camera’s internal clock.
