thanks sergey - this still gives earliest file (1990) - is there any way of finding out what is on the bottom of that sort list?
k

ltZeroTime = CTOT("00:00:00")
= ADIR(laFieList, 'c:\db\prg\*.prg')
FOR i= 1 TO ALEN(laFieList,1)
laFieList[i,5] = DTOT(laFieList[i,3]) + (CTOT(laFieList[i,4]) - ltZeroTime)
ENDFOR
= ASORT(laFieList, 5)
? lafielist