Searching All Files (Access Denied)

[noahssite]

Hello here is my code:

Module FileCheck
    Public BW_AntiCorrupt As New Threading.Thread(AddressOf AntiCorrupt)
    Dim THardDrive As String = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop)
    Dim HardDrive As String = THardDrive.Substring(0, THardDrive.IndexOf("\") + 1) 'C:\
    Public ContinueSearch As Boolean = True
    Public Results As New List(Of String)
    Public DoneGather As Boolean = False
    Public DiagnosticReport As String
 
    Public Sub AntiCorrupt()
        Dim DirInfo As New IO.DirectoryInfo(HardDrive)
        DoneGather = False
        Results.AddRange(IO.Directory.GetFiles(HardDrive, "*.*", IO.SearchOption.AllDirectories))
        DoneGather = True
        For Each file As String In Results
            If ContinueSearch = True Then
                CheckFile(file)
            End If
        Next
    End Sub
    Private Sub CheckFile(ByVal file As String)
        Dim finfo As New IO.FileInfo(file)
 
    End Sub
End Module

This code is being called wit this code:

BW_AntiCorrupt.IsBackground = True
                BW_AntiCorrupt.Start()
                frmFileCheckResults.Show()

I am having a problem. The IO.Directory.GetFiles code is resulting in error do to the fact that it is trying to access the Temp folder in the Windows folder on drive C:\. Apparently that folder is restricted... When the code encounters that folder the code stops retrieving files.

Is there a way around this? Is there somewhere i can give my program administrator access? If not then am i able to skip the files in that location?

[noahssite]

Would i put this code at the first line of the AntiCorrupt sub?

Dim i As Security.Permissions.FileIOPermission
        i.AllFiles = Security.Permissions.FileIOPermissionAccess.AllAccess

I didn't want to test it because of my next question.
Does this just change the access MY program has? Or does it change the access permently on the computer in general? Or does this code not even work?

[motil]

When i tried your code at one point i got an exception when the search got to the folder of the program, i think it got something when the program try to "touch" the file while it in use.

[noahssite]

If that is the case what should i do about it? Also i think it might also be admin access (im on a vista). Is there a way to run the code as administrator?

[noahssite]

I ran a few tests and i am sure it is the access. I went to the debug exe in my application's folder and ran it as admin and it worked up until a system folder. So my program doesn't just need admin access? It needs system access? or is it just something with file permissions?

[Bulldog]

Unless you're the Admin, you won't get access. So if you want your code to avoid folders/files that it cannot access, you'll need to handle that in code. The DirectoryInfo command will fail, so you will need to implement your own recursion.

Here's an example;

    Dim FolderFailedAccessList As List(Of String)
    Dim FolderList As List(Of String)

    Private Sub RecurseFolders(ByVal path As String)
        ' This sub recurses down a folder tree (path) and finds all accessible folder paths
        ' It also updates a list of folders where an error was incurred getting access
        Try
            Dim subfolders() As String = IO.Directory.GetDirectories(path, "*.*", IO.SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly)
            For Each folder As String In subfolders
                Try
                    FolderList.Add(folder)
                    RecurseFolders(folder)
                Catch ex As Exception
                    FolderFailedAccessList.Add(path)
                End Try
            Next
        Catch ex As Exception
            FolderFailedAccessList.Add(path)
        End Try
    End Sub

    Private Sub GatherFolders(ByVal path As String)
        ' This sub gathers all the folders in the path and updates two lists
        ' FolderList = A list of all accessible folder paths
        ' FolderFailedAccessList = A list that could not be inspected due to access problems

        If System.IO.Directory.Exists(path) Then

            Dim searchpath As String
            If System.IO.Path.GetExtension(path) = ".lnk" Then
                searchpath = ShellMethods.GetShortcutPath(path)
            Else
                searchpath = path
            End If

            FolderFailedList = New List(Of String)
            FolderList = New List(Of String)
            FolderList.Add(searchpath)

            RecurseFolders(searchpath)

        Else
            MessageBox.Show("Error: Folder does not exist", _
            "Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error)
        End If

    End Sub

If you call this sub, it will generate a list of folders that were accessible (FolderList) and will also generate a list of folders (FolderFailedAccessList) that could not be traversed.

Using the FolderList, you can then loop through each folder and inspect the files within it.

To handle a shortcut, you'll also need this Class, which I called ShellMethods;

Option Strict Off

Friend Class ShellMethods
    Public Shared Function GetShortcutPath(ByVal FileName As String) As String
        Dim WSH As Object = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
        Dim sc As Object = WSH.CreateShortcut(FileName)
        GetShortcutPath = sc.TargetPath
    End Function
End Class

If you want to know how to then loop through all the files, here's an example of that which you can adapt to your own purpose;

    Dim FolderIgnoredList As List(Of String)

    Public Function GetFileInformation(ByVal target As IO.DirectoryInfo) As IO.FileInfo()
        'This sub returns the FileInfo for files in the target path

        Dim files As New List(Of IO.FileInfo)
        files.AddRange(target.GetFiles("*.*", IO.SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly))
        Return files.ToArray()
    End Function

    Private Sub WorkOnFiles(ByVal path As String)
        ' This sub does whatever you want to do with each file found
        ' It updates lists indicating files/folders that were ignored because of access problems

        GatherFolders(path)

        For Each folder As String In FolderList
            Dim ProblemPath As String
            FolderIgnoreList = New List(Of String)
            Try
                Dim folderinfo As New IO.DirectoryInfo(folder)
                Dim fileinfo() As IO.FileInfo = GetFileInformation(folderinfo)
                If fileinfo.Length > 0 Then
                    For Each file As IO.FileInfo In fileinfo
                        Try

                            'Do stuff with the file

                        Catch ex As IO.***********Exception
                            ProblemPath = IO.Path.GetFullPath(folder.ToString)
                            If Not FolderIgnoredList.Contains(ProblemPath) Then FolderIgnoredList.Add(ProblemPath)
                        Catch ex As System.UnauthorizedAccessException
                            FolderFailedAccessList.Add(folder)
                        Catch ex As Exception
                            FolderFailedAccessList.Add(folder)
                        End Try
                    Next
                End If
            Catch ex As IO.***********Exception
                ProblemPath = IO.Path.GetFullPath(folder.ToString)
                If Not FolderIgnoredList.Contains(ProblemPath) Then FolderIgnoredList.Add(ProblemPath)
            Catch ex As System.UnauthorizedAccessException
                FolderFailedAccessList.Add(folder)
            Catch ex As Exception
                FolderFailedAccessList.Add(folder)
            End Try
        Next

    End Sub

[noahssite]

Thank you but:

Unless you're the Admin, you won't get access.

I am the admin.

[Bulldog]

ok, but your comment was;

If not then am i able to skip the files in that location?

So I showed you how write code to skip that location.

If you're the Admin and running on Vista then take a look at this thread http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?t=556963