[Resolved] how to delete a folder ?

[kpmsivachand]

Hello to everyone!

i used the following code to delete a folder:

 
System.IO.Directory.Delete("c:\test", True)

if the "test" folder contents, contains normal attributes then no problem in deletion.
But if it contains Readonly attributes then it shows access dined error in deletion.

How can i delete a folder forcefully. In vb6 i used fso to delete a folder forcefully, how can i achieve in vb.net???

Thanks in advance!

[CoBHC]

Hello to everyone!

i used the following code to delete a folder:

 
System.IO.Directory.Delete("c:\test", True)

if the "test" folder contents, contains normal attributes then no problem in deletion.
But if it contains Readonly attributes then it shows access dined error in deletion.

How can i delete a folder forcefully. In vb6 i used fso to delete a folder forcefully, how can i achieve in vb.net???

Thanks in advance!

Try this:

FSO.DeleteFolder(C:\test", True)

EDIT: Nevermind, that does nothing. Try google there are tons of results.

[kpmsivachand]

Try this:

FSO.DeleteFolder(C:\test", True)

EDIT: Nevermind, that does nothing. Try google there are tons of results.

Thanks for your quick reply...

But we cannt use file system object direcly vb.net know??? if we can use then what steps i have to follow, guide me...

[manhit45]

Try this :

  Dim str As String = "C:\manh"
        If System.IO.Directory.Exists(str) = True Then
            System.IO.Directory.Delete(str)
        End If

[JuggaloBrotha]

Loop through the folder (and subfolders) and remove the readonly attribute on all the files then delete:

    Private Sub DeleteDirectory(ByVal Src As String)
        Dim Files() As String = Directory.GetFileSystemEntries(Src)
        For Each element As String In Files
            If Directory.Exists(element) Then
                'the current FileSystemEntry is a directory so we need to recursively call ourself
                Call DeleteDirectory(element)
                Directory.Delete(element) 'Delete the now empty directory
            Else
                'the current FileSystemEntry is a file so remove readonly and delete
                Try
                    Dim fi As New FileInfo(Src)
                    With fi
                        If (.Attributes And IO.FileAttributes.ReadOnly) = IO.FileAttributes.ReadOnly Then .Attributes = .Attributes Or IO.FileAttributes.ReadOnly
                        If (.Attributes And IO.FileAttributes.Encrypted) = IO.FileAttributes.Encrypted Then .Attributes = .Attributes Or IO.FileAttributes.Encrypted
                        fi.Delete()
                    End With
                Catch ex As Exception
                    MessageBox.Show(element & Environment.NewLine & ex.ToString)
                End Try
            End If
        Next element
        Directory.Delete(Src)
    End Sub

I haven't had time to test this so it may not work quite right yet, but I'm 98% sure the code's fine as is. Also you'll still need to check that the original (base) folder gets deleted too.

Try this :

  Dim str As String = "C:\manh"
        If System.IO.Directory.Exists(str) = True Then
            System.IO.Directory.Delete(str)
        End If

That's what he's already tried but doesn't work if there's a readonly file in the folder

[kpmsivachand]

First of al thanks to all

Especialy thanks to JuggaloBrotha , he s the one who understand the problem correctly, now i am going to check your code. Once again thank you JuggaloBrotha ....

[kpmsivachand]

Loop through the folder (and subfolders) and remove the readonly attribute on all the files then delete:

    Private Sub DeleteDirectory(ByVal Src As String)
        Dim Files() As String = Directory.GetFileSystemEntries(Src)
        For Each element As String In Files
            If Directory.Exists(element) Then
                'the current FileSystemEntry is a directory so we need to recursively call ourself
                Call DeleteDirectory(element)
                Directory.Delete(element) 'Delete the now empty directory
            Else
                'the current FileSystemEntry is a file so remove readonly and delete
                Try
                    Dim fi As New FileInfo(Src)
                    With fi
                        If (.Attributes And IO.FileAttributes.ReadOnly) = IO.FileAttributes.ReadOnly Then .Attributes = .Attributes Or IO.FileAttributes.ReadOnly
                        If (.Attributes And IO.FileAttributes.Encrypted) = IO.FileAttributes.Encrypted Then .Attributes = .Attributes Or IO.FileAttributes.Encrypted
                        fi.Delete()
                    End With
                Catch ex As Exception
                    MessageBox.Show(element & Environment.NewLine & ex.ToString)
                End Try
            End If
        Next element
        Directory.Delete(Src)
    End Sub

I haven't had time to test this so it may not work quite right yet, but I'm 98% sure the code's fine as is. Also you'll still need to check that the original (base) folder gets deleted too.That's what he's already tried but doesn't work if there's a readonly file in the folder

I changed your code as follows:

    Private Sub DeleteDirectory(ByVal Src As String)

        Dim Files() As String = Directory.GetFileSystemEntries(Src)
        For Each element As String In Files
            If Directory.Exists(element) Then
                'the current FileSystemEntry is a directory so we need to recursively call ourself
                Call DeleteDirectory(element)
                Directory.Delete(element) 'Delete the now empty directory
            Else
                'the current FileSystemEntry is a file so remove readonly and delete
                Try
                    Dim fi As New FileInfo(element)
                    With fi
                        'fi.Attributes = FileAttributes.Normal
                        MsgBox(element)
                        Shell("cmd.exe /c" & "del " + Chr(34) + element + Chr(34) + " /a /f")
                        'If (.Attributes And IO.FileAttributes.ReadOnly) = IO.FileAttributes.ReadOnly Then .Attributes = .Attributes Or IO.FileAttributes.ReadOnly
                        'If (.Attributes And IO.FileAttributes.Encrypted) = IO.FileAttributes.Encrypted Then .Attributes = .Attributes Or IO.FileAttributes.Encrypted
                        fi.Delete()
                        MsgBox("Deleted")
                    End With
                Catch ex As Exception
                    MessageBox.Show(element & Environment.NewLine & ex.ToString)
                End Try
            End If
        Next element
        Directory.Delete(Src)
    End Sub

I dont know why u didnt use element variable, thats why it didnt work and used run command to delete readonly files.... Thanks for your help...

[JuggaloBrotha]

I changed your code as follows:

    Private Sub DeleteDirectory(ByVal Src As String)

        Dim Files() As String = Directory.GetFileSystemEntries(Src)
        For Each element As String In Files
            If Directory.Exists(element) Then
                'the current FileSystemEntry is a directory so we need to recursively call ourself
                Call DeleteDirectory(element)
                Directory.Delete(element) 'Delete the now empty directory
            Else
                'the current FileSystemEntry is a file so remove readonly and delete
                Try
                    Dim fi As New FileInfo(element)
                    With fi
                        'fi.Attributes = FileAttributes.Normal
                        MsgBox(element)
                        Shell("cmd.exe /c" & "del " + Chr(34) + element + Chr(34) + " /a /f")
                        'If (.Attributes And IO.FileAttributes.ReadOnly) = IO.FileAttributes.ReadOnly Then .Attributes = .Attributes Or IO.FileAttributes.ReadOnly
                        'If (.Attributes And IO.FileAttributes.Encrypted) = IO.FileAttributes.Encrypted Then .Attributes = .Attributes Or IO.FileAttributes.Encrypted
                        fi.Delete()
                        MsgBox("Deleted")
                    End With
                Catch ex As Exception
                    MessageBox.Show(element & Environment.NewLine & ex.ToString)
                End Try
            End If
        Next element
        Directory.Delete(Src)
    End Sub

I dont know why u didnt use element variable, thats why it didnt work and used run command to delete readonly files.... Thanks for your help...

So let me see if I got this right, you comment out the removal of the readonly file attribute, use vb6 code to shell to the command prompt to delete the file, then let the FileInfo object delete the file again?

Why didn't you just use vb6 to call a batch file instead of using .Net in the first place?

[kpmsivachand]

So let me see if I got this right, you comment out the removal of the readonly file attribute, use vb6 code to shell to the command prompt to delete the file, then let the FileInfo object delete the file again?

Why didn't you just use vb6 to call a batch file instead of using .Net in the first place?

Yes, yes you are correct there is no need to delete a file using FileInfo object, and i dont know why your code didnt delete the empty directories

Here the complete code which delete fully:

DeleteDirectory("c\test") 'This is will delete sub folder files which have readonly attributes and etc.
System.IO.Directory.Delete("c:\test", True) 'This will delete all empty sub directories

Private Sub DeleteDirectory(ByVal Src As String)

        Dim Files() As String = Directory.GetFileSystemEntries(Src)
        For Each element As String In Files

            If Directory.Exists(element) Then
                'the current FileSystemEntry is a directory so we need to recursively call ourself
                Dim DirInfo As DirectoryInfo

                DirInfo = New DirectoryInfo(element)

                DirInfo.Attributes = FileAttributes.Normal 'Here settings normal attributes for directory

                Call DeleteDirectory(element)
                'Directory.Delete(element) 'Delete the now empty directory
            Else
              Try
                      Shell("cmd.exe /c" & "del " + Chr(34) + element + Chr(34) + " /a /f")
                Catch ex As Exception
                    MessageBox.Show(element & Environment.NewLine & ex.ToString)
                End Try
            End If
        Next element
    End Sub