How to find if a file is in use?

[subhendu]

Hello,

Can any one tell me how do I find if a file is in use?

Thanks.

[dynamic_sysop]

EnumWindows might help you if you wish to find a seperate process thats running.
enumprocess api

[subhendu]

Nope 'enumprocess' would not help.

The reason being 'enumprocess' would allow me to enumerate the currently running process list. But, how do I know which of the documents is being accessed by them.

Isn't there any API do check if any file is in use?


Thanks.

[manavo11]

This out. It should help

[mandark]

I am working on a compression program, where I would like to make sure that none of the files that I want to compress are in use.

But, is this the best possible option.

As there may be over a thousand files that I need to compress.

If I have to check each file by opening in a binary mode, wouldn't it make it slow??

[manavo11]

Well it opens the file but it doesn't input it so it shouldn't be TOO slow. But I don't know any other way so I guess you'll have to settle for this, eh?

[frigginjerk]

I found this in API-Guide

'Determine whether a file is already open or not
Private Declare Function lOpen Lib "kernel32" Alias "_lopen" (ByVal lpPathName As String, ByVal iReadWrite As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function lClose Lib "kernel32" Alias "_lclose" (ByVal hFile As Long) As Long
 
Private Function IsFileAlreadyOpen(FileName As String) As Boolean
    Dim hFile As Long
    Dim lastErr As Long
    ' Initialize file handle and error variable.
    hFile = -1
    lastErr = 0
    ' Open for for read and exclusive sharing.
    hFile = lOpen(FileName, &H10)
    ' If we couldn't open the file, get the last error.
    If hFile = -1 Then
        lastErr = Err.LastDllError
    Else
        ' Make sure we close the file on success.
        lClose (hFile)
    End If
    ' Check for sharing violation error.
    sFileAlreadyOpen = (hFile = -1) And (lastErr = 32)
End Function
 
Private Sub Form_Load()
    'example by Matthew Gates ([email protected])
    MsgBox IsFileAlreadyOpen("c:\autoexec.bat")
End Sub

[subhendu]

Thanks guys.