Fastest way to get a list of every single file on the root drive?

[minitech]

I know, looping through is fast enough. But the search program "Everything" can index my entire C:\ drive in about 15 seconds. Does it read the MFT or something? Can I do this easily enough with VB.NET? Or at all?

[Sitten Spynne]

My guess is the hint's in how it requires admin privileges. I bet it doesn't go through the filesystem API but through something lower-level. That means it doesn't have to build filesystem objects *just in case* you want more than the name of each file. If it's driver-level or kernel mode stuff it's either impossible with VB .NET or hard enough you just don't want to do it.

[ForumAccount]

Not sure if you're interested, but there is an SDK for that program. It contains an example written in C#.

[minitech]

I'm definitely interested, but I can't find it. Do you have a link?

[ForumAccount]

Here you go. You know, that program really makes me wonder what Windows is doing when you search.

[minitech]

Didn't you know, that's how they calculate all those digits of pi? For every search you make, it calculates one more digit and sends it back to Microsoft. Anyways, thanks!!