Detecting if a File is in Use

[ABN]

I have a C# (.NET 1.1) application in which I loop over a number of files on
the hard drive and delete them. A few times, I've experienced an exception
that says the file is in use by another process.

So, my question is... Is there anyway to loop over the files and determine
if the files are able to be deleted before trying to delete (so the
exception won't be thrown)?

Thanks.

[Mike Schilling]

"ABN" <no****@company .com> wrote in message
news:eu******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP11.phx.gbl...

I have a C# (.NET 1.1) application in which I loop over a number of files
on
the hard drive and delete them. A few times, I've experienced an
exception
that says the file is in use by another process.

So, my question is... Is there anyway to loop over the files and
determine
if the files are able to be deleted before trying to delete (so the
exception won't be thrown)?

Is there a big advantage to doing this over simply catching the exception?
(And there's no guarantee that a file which wasn't in use when you checked
won't be in use when you then try to delete it, so you'd need to deal with
the exception anyway.)

[Michael Nemtsev]

Hello ABN,

You need to use WINAPI for this (interops call) to iterate through the processes
and find which one is holding your file handler.
But using exception is more natural way than P/Invoke

A> I have a C# (.NET 1.1) application in which I loop over a number of
A> files on the hard drive and delete them. A few times, I've
A> experienced an exception that says the file is in use by another
A> process.
A>
A> So, my question is... Is there anyway to loop over the files and
A> determine if the files are able to be deleted before trying to delete
A> (so the exception won't be thrown)?
A>
A> Thanks.
A>
---
WBR,
Michael Nemtsev :: blog: http://spaces.msn.com/laflour

"At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not
cease to be insipid." (c) Friedrich Nietzsche

[Lau Lei Cheong]

Agreed.

Additionally, you have no guarantee that the user have the administrative
right to iterate through the processes.

It's not justifable to require admin. right to run the program solely for
this reason.

"Michael Nemtsev" <ne*****@msn.co m>
???????:9c***** *************** ******@msnews.m icrosoft.com...

Hello ABN,

You need to use WINAPI for this (interops call) to iterate through the
processes and find which one is holding your file handler.
But using exception is more natural way than P/Invoke

[Ignacio Machin \( .NET/ C# MVP \)]

Hi,

"Michael Nemtsev" <ne*****@msn.co m> wrote in message
news:9c******** *************** ***@msnews.micr osoft.com...

Hello ABN,

You need to use WINAPI for this (interops call) to iterate through the
processes and find which one is holding your file handler.
But using exception is more natural way than P/Invoke

And what happens if the first process that you checked opens it by the time
you reach the last process?

As Mike said, you have to deal with the exception no matter what. IMO there
is no way to know a priori if you can or cannot open a file except trying to
open it.
--
Ignacio Machin,
ignacio.machin AT dot.state.fl.us
Florida Department Of Transportation

[Stoitcho Goutsev \(100\)]

ABN,

Just catch the exception.
--
HTH
Stoitcho Goutsev (100)

"ABN" <no****@company .com> wrote in message
news:eu******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP11.phx.gbl...

I have a C# (.NET 1.1) application in which I loop over a number of files
on
the hard drive and delete them. A few times, I've experienced an
exception
that says the file is in use by another process.

So, my question is... Is there anyway to loop over the files and
determine
if the files are able to be deleted before trying to delete (so the
exception won't be thrown)?

Thanks.

[Stoitcho Goutsev \(100\)]

Michael,

Are you sure you can get this info using API?
--

Stoitcho Goutsev (100)

"Michael Nemtsev" <ne*****@msn.co m> wrote in message
news:9c******** *************** ***@msnews.micr osoft.com...

Hello ABN,

You need to use WINAPI for this (interops call) to iterate through the
processes and find which one is holding your file handler.
But using exception is more natural way than P/Invoke

A> I have a C# (.NET 1.1) application in which I loop over a number of
A> files on the hard drive and delete them. A few times, I've
A> experienced an exception that says the file is in use by another
A> process.
A> A> So, my question is... Is there anyway to loop over the files and
A> determine if the files are able to be deleted before trying to delete
A> (so the exception won't be thrown)?
A> A> Thanks.
A> ---
WBR,
Michael Nemtsev :: blog: http://spaces.msn.com/laflour

"At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do
not cease to be insipid." (c) Friedrich Nietzsche

[ABN]

Thanks all for your responses. I have been and am still catching the
exception. I was hoping there would be some way to avoid this all together.

Anyway, let's say I have 100 files to delete, and file #34 is in use, throws
the exception, and I catch the exception. How can I skip this file and
continue deleting file #35 and on?

"ABN" <no****@company .com> wrote in message
news:eu******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP11.phx.gbl...

I have a C# (.NET 1.1) application in which I loop over a number of files on the hard drive and delete them. A few times, I've experienced an exception that says the file is in use by another process.

So, my question is... Is there anyway to loop over the files and determine if the files are able to be deleted before trying to delete (so the
exception won't be thrown)?

Thanks.

[Mike Schilling]

Catch the exception within the loop, and keep iterating.

foreach (<list of files>)
{
try
{
<delete the file>
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
<print warning that file cannot be deleted>
}
}
"ABN" <no****@company .com> wrote in message
news:uz******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP14.phx.gbl...

Thanks all for your responses. I have been and am still catching the
exception. I was hoping there would be some way to avoid this all
together.

Anyway, let's say I have 100 files to delete, and file #34 is in use,
throws
the exception, and I catch the exception. How can I skip this file and
continue deleting file #35 and on?

"ABN" <no****@company .com> wrote in message
news:eu******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP11.phx.gbl...

I have a C# (.NET 1.1) application in which I loop over a number of files

on

the hard drive and delete them. A few times, I've experienced an

exception

that says the file is in use by another process.

So, my question is... Is there anyway to loop over the files and

determine

if the files are able to be deleted before trying to delete (so the
exception won't be thrown)?

Thanks.

[Lebesgue]

Catching exception is possibly the most widespread bad habit out there.
How many times does one to state that catching System.Exceptio n is bad to
stop people from advising to do so?

Always catch the specific exception, IOException in this case, or throw away
possible StackOverflow-, OutOfMemory- and ThreadAbort- Exception when
catching System.Exceptio n. These three can be thrown at "any" time, so you
may end in trouble when thinking you just caught IOException...

"Mike Schilling" <ap@newsgroup.n ospam> wrote in message
news:uC******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP12.phx.gbl...

Catch the exception within the loop, and keep iterating.

foreach (<list of files>)
{
try
{
<delete the file>
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
<print warning that file cannot be deleted>
}
}
"ABN" <no****@company .com> wrote in message
news:uz******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP14.phx.gbl...

Thanks all for your responses. I have been and am still catching the
exception. I was hoping there would be some way to avoid this all
together.

Anyway, let's say I have 100 files to delete, and file #34 is in use,
throws
the exception, and I catch the exception. How can I skip this file and
continue deleting file #35 and on?

"ABN" <no****@company .com> wrote in message
news:eu******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP11.phx.gbl...

I have a C# (.NET 1.1) application in which I loop over a number of
files

on

the hard drive and delete them. A few times, I've experienced an

exception

that says the file is in use by another process.

So, my question is... Is there anyway to loop over the files and

determine

if the files are able to be deleted before trying to delete (so the
exception won't be thrown)?

Thanks.