Searching for multiple files on harddrive(s) [Resolved!]

[DaveG]

Hello everyone!

I've searched for this on the forum, but I could only find code for a single file search or extension search.

I have a database with application titles and their starting executables. I would like an example on how to search all the executable files listed in the database, so I can tell which application is installed on the users harddrives.

I know it's possible to just use the recursive Dir function on each file seperately, but I think it would take ages if I had to use this with a database with over 100 files to search.

I've also heard of the FSO, but I've never used it, so I wouldn't know if it's possible with that.

Can anyone help me with this problem?

Thanks in advance!

Dave.

[phinds]

I think you're looking for a simpler solution than is possible.

Whether you use FSO or dir or whatever, you're going to HAVE to recursively search every directory and compare every EXE file name found to the list of names you are looking for, and yes, for a big hard drive it's going to take a while. There is no magic.

For executables that register with Windows, I think you can look in the registry somehow, but I can't help you further with that.

[DaveG]

Well, I've tried searching with Dir, and although it takes a few seconds per file to be searched, it does work. I can shorten the search time by asking the user to select a specific directory where (s)he think the apps may be located, but it's not a pretty solution.

This guy seemed to be working on searching multiple files, but I can't make heads or tails of it...

[TheSarlacc]

why dont you just create an array in VB, then use Dir to map the whole hard drive into the array (you could use a filter so that only .exe files show up), then search the array for an item you are looking for from the database. better to try and use less HDD and more RAM resources as possible since RAM is quicker.

[CVMichael]

You can use InStr...

This is just an example, it will search in the windows directory too see if 4 files are there...

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Dim aFindFiles(3) As String, sFindFiles As String, File As String
    
    aFindFiles(0) = "NOTEPAD.EXE"
    aFindFiles(1) = "win.ini"
    aFindFiles(2) = "system.ini"
    aFindFiles(3) = "winnt.bmp"
    
    sFindFiles = ";" & Join(aFindFiles, ";") & ";"
    ' sFindFiles will contain   ";NOTEPAD.EXE;win.ini;system.ini;winnt.bmp;"
    
    File = Dir("C:\Windows\*.*", vbArchive + vbHidden + vbReadOnly)
    Do Until File = ""
        If File <> "." And File <> ".." Then
            If InStr(1, sFindFiles, ";" & File & ";", vbTextCompare) > 0 Then
                Debug.Print "Found file: " & File
            End If
        End If
        
        File = Dir
    Loop
End Sub

[si_the_geek]

If you are looking for app's that install properly (ie: add themselves to the "add/remove programs" list), you just need to read the registry at this location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\


There are plenty of examples of using the registry all over this site & the rest of the web.

[DaveG]

OK, I've used the Instr() function as you advised, and I've combined it with an FSO, and...it works!

But... the Instr function will return everything that matches, which means partial names as well (say I'm searching for thisapp.exe, and the FSO lists a file names app.exe, it will give a match.

Do now, I've added the found files into a hidden flexgrid, and then I search that flexgrid for the proper filenames. So it's not the best solution, but it certainly much better than I came up with

Thanks!

Dave.

[CVMichael]

That's why i've put semicollon before and after the file name !

Just do it exactly the way I've done it in my code example and you'll see it will work...

[DaveG]

Well, it went from bad to worse I'm afraid....

I wanted to modify your code, so it would accept an unlimited amount of files, so I made an array. Well, the sFindFiles string didn't accept this, so I made the following code:

        If Len(sFindFiles) = 0 Then
            sFindFiles = ";" & rsUpdate.Fields("ExeFile") & ";"
        Else
            sFindFiles = sFindFiles & rsUpdate.Fields("ExeFile") & ";"
        End If

This works, but sometimes the string of Exe's (;name.exe;name2.exe;name3.exe;) seems to match with directories named '2' or '3'.

Secondly, I wanted to have a recursive function, so it would search the subfolders of the selected dir too. That's how I got onto the FSO story.

If it's not to much trouble, could you modify your code to accept an unlimited amount of files, and to search the subfolders too?

Thanks in advance!

Dave.

[CVMichael]

Option Explicit
 
Private Sub Form_Load()
    Dim SearchResults As New Collection, sPath As Variant
    
    FindMultipleFiles "C:\", "|win.ini|vb6.exe|link.exe|biblio.mdb|msmsgs.exe|winamp.exe|", SearchResults
    
    For Each sPath In SearchResults
        Debug.Print sPath
    Next
End Sub
 
Private Sub FindMultipleFiles(ByVal RootPath As String, ByRef FindFiles As String, ByRef Results As Collection)
    Dim Dirs() As String, FoundDirs As Boolean, K As Long
    Dim currFile As String
    
    If Right(RootPath, 1) <> "\" Then RootPath = RootPath & "\"
    currFile = Dir(RootPath & "*", vbArchive + vbDirectory + vbHidden + vbReadOnly)
    
    Do Until currFile = ""
        If currFile <> "." And currFile <> ".." Then
            If (GetAttr(RootPath & currFile) And vbDirectory) = vbDirectory Then
                If Not FoundDirs Then
                    ReDim Dirs(0)
                Else
                    ReDim Preserve Dirs(UBound(Dirs) + 1)
                End If
                
                Dirs(UBound(Dirs)) = currFile
                FoundDirs = True
            ElseIf InStr(1, FindFiles, "|" & currFile & "|", vbTextCompare) > 0 Then
                Results.Add RootPath & currFile
            End If
        End If
        
        currFile = Dir
    Loop
    
    If FoundDirs Then
        For K = 0 To UBound(Dirs)
            FindMultipleFiles RootPath & Dirs(K), FindFiles, Results
        Next K
    End If
End Sub

I got those results:
C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\VB98\BIBLIO.MDB
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\VB98\LINK.EXE
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\VB98\VB6.EXE
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET\Vc7\bin\link.exe
C:\Program Files\Winamp\winamp.exe
C:\WINDOWS\win.ini
C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386\msmsgs.exe

[CVMichael]

I've changed the ";" to "|" because files cannot contain "|", but it can contain ";"... I did not check for that before...

[DaveG]

THIS IS IT!!!

Thank you very much!!!

You just made a friend for life!


Dave.