In Windows XP, in folder view details, you can see a column called
Date Modified.  Only hours and minutes are showing.  Is there a way to
have seconds also display?

This comment is not an answer but it may inspire an answer from another user.
I understand you are referring to the list of files contained in each
folder when you set the "View" to "Details" in "My Computer" or in
"Windows Explorer".
In the "Control Panel" folder called "Regional and Language Options"
you can set the Time format displayed on your computer. I use time
format "h:mm:ss tt" which is a format that shows seconds wherever the
computer is normally capable of showing seconds such as in the
"properties" of each individual file.
In the "properties" of each file the following three properties can be
viewed - "Created", "Modified" and "Accessed" in my chosen time format
which includes seconds. It even shows the name of the day of the week
before the date.
However although I can modify the way the date and hours and minutes
and even AM/PM display in the list of files I too have not been able
to cause the seconds to appear in the list as you are seeking. (Not
that I ever wanted to see seconds until inspired to look because of
your question.)
If you need to see the seconds then you can view them in "properties"
for each file. Right click on the file name and select "properties"
from the drop down list that appears next to your cursor. Of course
that is a one by one file process and not a "list"
I suspect the ultimate answer to your question is "no" or at least
"no" using the Windows XP operating system. It may be possible to see
through another operating system or in "DOS" (?)
Note that you can change the columns displayed in the list of files
including: to display Date Accessed" and/or "Date Created"

Not an answer!!!

I do not believe that it is posible to do as you are trying, because
microsoft would have thought that noone would use it.

Though I have also tried and failed.

Good luck trying though!!