diff --git a/files/externallib.php b/files/externallib.php
index 95ebec2e60b..ec167245352 100644
--- a/files/externallib.php
+++ b/files/externallib.php
@@ -52,9 +52,7 @@ class core_files_external extends external_api {
                 'filearea'  => new external_value(PARAM_TEXT, 'file area'),
                 'itemid'    => new external_value(PARAM_INT, 'associated id'),
                 'filepath'  => new external_value(PARAM_PATH, 'file path'),
-                'filename'  => new external_value(PARAM_FILE, 'file name'),
-                'modified' => new external_value(PARAM_INT, 'timestamp, return files which the last ' .
-                    'timemodified time is the same or later than the specified time', VALUE_DEFAULT, null)
+                'filename'  => new external_value(PARAM_FILE, 'file name')
             )
         );
     }
@@ -68,16 +66,12 @@ class core_files_external extends external_api {
      * @param int $itemid item id
      * @param string $filepath file path
      * @param string $filename file name
-     * @param int $modified, timestamp, timestamp, 
-     *        return files which the last timemodified time is the same or later than the specified time
      * @return array
      * @since Moodle 2.2
      */
-    public static function get_files($contextid, $component, $filearea, $itemid, $filepath, $filename, $modified = null) {
+    public static function get_files($contextid, $component, $filearea, $itemid, $filepath, $filename) {
         global $CFG, $USER, $OUTPUT;
-        $fileinfo = self::validate_parameters(self::get_files_parameters(), array(
-                    'contextid'=>$contextid, 'component'=>$component, 'filearea'=>$filearea,
-                    'itemid'=>$itemid, 'filepath'=>$filepath, 'filename'=>$filename, 'modified'=>$modified));
+        $fileinfo = self::validate_parameters(self::get_files_parameters(), array('contextid'=>$contextid, 'component'=>$component, 'filearea'=>$filearea, 'itemid'=>$itemid, 'filepath'=>$filepath, 'filename'=>$filename));
 
         $browser = get_file_browser();
 
@@ -105,9 +99,7 @@ class core_files_external extends external_api {
         $return = array();
         $return['parents'] = array();
         $return['files'] = array();
-        if ($file = $browser->get_file_info(
-            $context, $fileinfo['component'], $fileinfo['filearea'], $fileinfo['itemid'],
-                $fileinfo['filepath'], $fileinfo['filename'])) {
+        if ($file = $browser->get_file_info($context, $fileinfo['component'], $fileinfo['filearea'], $fileinfo['itemid'], $fileinfo['filepath'], $fileinfo['filename'])) {
             $level = $file->get_parent();
             while ($level) {
                 $params = $level->get_params();
@@ -120,38 +112,31 @@ class core_files_external extends external_api {
             foreach ($children as $child) {
 
                 $params = $child->get_params();
-                $timemodified = $child->get_timemodified();
 
                 if ($child->is_directory()) {
-                    if ((is_null($modified)) or ($modified <= $timemodified)) {
-                        $node = array(
-                            'contextid' => $params['contextid'],
-                            'component' => $params['component'],
-                            'filearea'  => $params['filearea'],
-                            'itemid'    => $params['itemid'],
-                            'filepath'  => $params['filepath'],
-                            'filename'  => $child->get_visible_name(),
-                            'url'       => null,
-                            'isdir'     => true,
-                            'timemodified' => $timemodified
-                           );
-                           $list[] = $node;
-                    }
+                    $node = array(
+                        'contextid' => $params['contextid'],
+                        'component' => $params['component'],
+                        'filearea'  => $params['filearea'],
+                        'itemid'    => $params['itemid'],
+                        'filepath'  => $params['filepath'],
+                        'filename'  => $child->get_visible_name(),
+                        'url'       => null,
+                        'isdir'     => true
+                    );
+                    $list[] = $node;
                 } else {
-                    if ((is_null($modified)) or ($modified <= $timemodified)) {
-                        $node = array(
-                            'contextid' => $params['contextid'],
-                            'component' => $params['component'],
-                            'filearea'  => $params['filearea'],
-                            'itemid'    => $params['itemid'],
-                            'filepath'  => $params['filepath'],
-                            'filename'  => $child->get_visible_name(),
-                            'url'       => $child->get_url(),
-                            'isdir'     => false,
-                            'timemodified' => $timemodified
-                        );
-                           $list[] = $node;
-                    }
+                    $node = array(
+                        'contextid' => $params['contextid'],
+                        'component' => $params['component'],
+                        'filearea'  => $params['filearea'],
+                        'itemid'    => $params['itemid'],
+                        'filepath'  => $params['filepath'],
+                        'filename'  => $child->get_visible_name(),
+                        'url'       => $child->get_url(),
+                        'isdir'     => false
+                    );
+                    $list[] = $node;
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -191,7 +176,6 @@ class core_files_external extends external_api {
                             'filename' => new external_value(PARAM_FILE, ''),
                             'isdir'    => new external_value(PARAM_BOOL, ''),
                             'url'      => new external_value(PARAM_TEXT, ''),
-                            'timemodified' => new external_value(PARAM_INT, ''),
                         )
                     )
                 )
@@ -235,14 +219,12 @@ class core_files_external extends external_api {
     public static function upload($contextid, $component, $filearea, $itemid, $filepath, $filename, $filecontent) {
         global $USER, $CFG;
 
-        $fileinfo = self::validate_parameters(self::upload_parameters(), array(
-            'contextid'=>$contextid, 'component'=>$component, 'filearea'=>$filearea, 'itemid'=>$itemid,
-            'filepath'=>$filepath, 'filename'=>$filename, 'filecontent'=>$filecontent));
+        $fileinfo = self::validate_parameters(self::upload_parameters(), array('contextid'=>$contextid, 'component'=>$component, 'filearea'=>$filearea, 'itemid'=>$itemid, 'filepath'=>$filepath, 'filename'=>$filename, 'filecontent'=>$filecontent));
 
         if (!isset($fileinfo['filecontent'])) {
             throw new moodle_exception('nofile');
         }
-        // Saving file.
+        // saving file
         $dir = make_temp_directory('wsupload');
 
         if (empty($fileinfo['filename'])) {
@@ -257,6 +239,7 @@ class core_files_external extends external_api {
             $savedfilepath = $dir.$filename;
         }
 
+
         file_put_contents($savedfilepath, base64_decode($fileinfo['filecontent']));
         unset($fileinfo['filecontent']);
 
@@ -267,7 +250,7 @@ class core_files_external extends external_api {
         }
 
         if (isset($fileinfo['itemid'])) {
-            // TODO MDL-31116 in user private area, itemid is always 0.
+            // TODO MDL-31116 in user private area, itemid is always 0
             $itemid = 0;
         } else {
             throw new coding_exception('itemid cannot be empty');
@@ -282,19 +265,19 @@ class core_files_external extends external_api {
         if (!($fileinfo['component'] == 'user' and $fileinfo['filearea'] == 'private')) {
             throw new coding_exception('File can be uploaded to user private area only');
         } else {
-            // TODO MDL-31116 hard-coded to use user_private area.
+            // TODO MDL-31116 hard-coded to use user_private area
             $component = 'user';
             $filearea = 'private';
         }
 
         $browser = get_file_browser();
 
-        // Check existing file.
+        // check existing file
         if ($file = $browser->get_file_info($context, $component, $filearea, $itemid, $filepath, $filename)) {
             throw new moodle_exception('fileexist');
         }
 
-        // Move file to filepool.
+        // move file to filepool
         if ($dir = $browser->get_file_info($context, $component, $filearea, $itemid, $filepath, '.')) {
             $info = $dir->create_file_from_pathname($filename, $savedfilepath);
             $params = $info->get_params();