how to search for a file in the computer and execute

[ravindarjobs]

hello friends,

i want to seach for a file in the computer. i dont know the exact location where it is. so the requirement is to search entire hard disk and get the path of the specified file.

after that we now save the path in a string variable.

now, we have to execute the appication with the path stored in the string.

may be using shell.


my problem is, i know only how to search for a file in a particular drive, but how do we perform a entire hard disk check?

and after we store the path in a string variable, say st.

if i execute with the code

Shell st,vbNormalFocus

or Shell " & st & ",vbNormalFocus

and in many ways i tried.
but i couldnt work out.

can any body please help me

[dthompson]

You looking to do a recursive search
There are many example of such searches on the web, I have written code in the past to do this, if you can wait 24hrs, I may be able to locate it for you.

As for the execution of the file once located and hopefully only 1 instance is located.

Normal Shell command should work in this instance. If not I like using Windows Scripting Objects, below are a couple options.

Assuming the search returns a true if the path (strPath) searched contains the file (defined for example as MyFile.exe) then
strFile = strPath & "\MyFile.exe"
To options come to mind (Assuming your string is strFile).
Dim objShell as Object
objShell = CreateObject ("WScript.Shell")
objShell.run(strFile)
OR
Dim objShell, objCmd
objShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
objCmd = objShell.Exec(strFile)

[Killer42]

...
Shell st,vbNormalFocus

Assuming you have the path and (executable) filename in st, this should work. However, it might depend on what version of VB you're using.

[Killer42]

...I have written code in the past to do this, if you can wait 24hrs, I may be able to locate it for you.

Yeah, I've done it once or twice, too.

This sounds like a good sample to add to the How-To series in the VB Articles area.

[danp129]

I got started good but trying to figure out if I want to put folder recursion in same sub or different one...

'Constants needed if not using MS Scripting Runtime referece
'Const UnknownType=0
'Const Removable=1
'Const Fixed=2
'Const Remote=3
'Const CDRom=4
'Const RamDisk=5
Option Explicit
Private Sub Command1_Click()
    'Call Search
    Call SearchSystem(Fixed Or CDRom)
End Sub
 
Sub SearchSystem(DriveTypes)
    'Replace As with 'As if not using MS Scripting Runtime reference
    Dim fs As FileSystemObject
    Dim dc As Drives
    Dim oDrive As Drive
    Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    Set dc = fs.Drives
 
    Debug.Print "---"
 
    For Each oDrive In dc
        'Use bitwise expression to see if Drivetype is one of the Drivetypes we wish to search
        If (oDrive.DriveType And DriveTypes) = oDrive.DriveType Then
            'oDrive is a drive type we wish to search
            Debug.Print oDrive.DriveLetter & " - " & oDrive.DriveType
        End If
    Next 'oDrive
    Set fs = Nothing
    Set dc = Nothing
End Sub
 

[ravindarjobs]

You looking to do a recursive search
There are many example of such searches on the web, I have written code in the past to do this, if you can wait 24hrs, I may be able to locate it for you.

yes friend, i can wait. or else give me the link when u find it, i will go through it.

one more thing i have not mentioned is currently i am using MsAccess2003, and vb6 code

thanq

[danp129]

Give this a try, You'll need to add the shell command yourself

'Add MS Scripting Runtime reference
'Const UnknownType=0
'Const Removable=1
'Const Fixed=2
'Const Remote=3
'Const CDRom=4
'Const RamDisk=5
Option Explicit
Private Sub Command1_Click()
    Dim mySearchPattern As String
    mySearchPattern = "*.exe"
    'look at constants above, use 'OR' + drive type to specify what type of drives to search.  I added OR CDRom below
    Call SearchSystem(Fixed Or CDRom, mySearchPattern)
End Sub
 
Sub SearchSystem(DriveTypes As Integer, _
        FileSpec As String, _
        Optional oFolder = Empty)
    'Replace As with 'As if not using MS Scripting Runtime reference
    Dim fs As FileSystemObject
    Dim dc As Drives
    Dim oDrive As Drive
    Dim ofld As Folder
    Dim file
    Dim subdirs As New Collection
    Dim subdir
 
    Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    Set dc = fs.Drives
    On Error GoTo errorhandler:
    If oFolder <> "" Then
        file = Dir$(oFolder & FileSpec)
        Do While Len(file)
            'File found
            file = oFolder & file
 
'PUT YOUR CODE HERE TO EXECUTE FILE
Debug.Print file
 
            'get next filename
            file = Dir$()
        Loop
 
        file = Dir$(oFolder & "*.*", vbDirectory)
        Do While Len(file)
            ' we've found a new directory
            If file = "." Or file = ".." Then
                ' exclude "." and ".."
            ElseIf (GetAttr(oFolder & file) And vbDirectory) = 0 Then
                ' ignore regular files
            Else
                ' this is a directory, include the path in the collection
                subdirs.Add oFolder & file
            End If
            ' get next directory
            file = Dir$()
        Loop
 
        ' parse each subdirectory
        For Each subdir In subdirs
            Call SearchSystem(DriveTypes, FileSpec, subdir & "\")
        Next
    End If
 
    If oFolder = "" Then
        For Each oDrive In dc
            'Use bitwise expression to see if Drivetype is one of the Drivetypes we wish to search
            If (oDrive.DriveType And DriveTypes) = oDrive.DriveType Then
                'oDrive is a drive type we wish to search
                Debug.Print "Searching: " & oDrive.Path
                If oDrive.IsReady Then Call SearchSystem(DriveTypes, FileSpec, oDrive.Path & "\")
            End If
        Next 'oDrive
        Debug.Print "finished"
    End If
    Set fs = Nothing
    Set dc = Nothing
Exit Sub
errorhandler:
    If Err.Number = 75 Then
        'Path/File access error (file locked for reading or doesn't exist?)
        Debug.Print Err.Description
        Resume Next
    Else
        Debug.Print Err.Description
        MsgBox Err.Description & vbCrLf & "Hit CTRL+BREAK to debug or OK to quit."
    End If
End Sub

[ravindarjobs]

Give this a try, You'll need to add the shell command yourself

i am very glad dear friend.
with the code given by you, i could perform the entire hard disk check.
thanq


now i got one more problem,
when i find the path of the executable file, i used the statement,
Shell file,vbNormalFocus

but it has given an error.

i am searching for a file with the name IFs.exe, it is located in
c:\Program Files\IFs\IFs.exe

since this path will be stored in variable file,
i executed the file with the code
Shell file,vbNormalFocus

it displayed a dialog box with a text box saying,
"Specify the location for IFs
IFs does not exists on c:\ Documents and settings\Ravi\My Documents\.
please specify the path"


actually my file location was c:\program files
but why it is searchig in Documents and Settings even though i specified the correct path by passing the variable "file" as
Shell file,vnNormalFocus
i am panic.

any how i am happy that i could perform the entire hard disk check.

[Killer42]

Probably you only have the file name, and not the path, in your variable. I'd suggest you put a breakpoint on the Shell line, and examine the contents of the variable at that point.

[ravindarjobs]

Probably you only have the file name, and not the path, in your variable. I'd suggest you put a breakpoint on the Shell line, and examine the contents of the variable at that point.

i examined the content of the variable before executing the file.
it displayed the correct path with quotation marks as
"C:\Program Files\IFs\IFs.exe"

but when i try to execute it, it is giving error

[Killer42]

i examined the content of the variable before executing the file.
it displayed the correct path with quotation marks as
"C:\Program Files\IFs\IFs.exe"

but when i try to execute it, it is giving error

Hm, that is odd.

What happens if you just paste this command into the immediate window...

Shell "c:\Program Files\IFs\IFs.exe"

[Killer42]

Here's another thought. Perhaps you need to change the current directory. So for example, you might try this in your code (hard-code it for now, just to try it out)...

ChDir "c:\Program Files\IFs"
Shell "c:\Program Files\IFs\IFs.exe", vbNormalFocus

[ravindarjobs]

Here's another thought. Perhaps you need to change the current directory. So for example, you might try this in your code (hard-code it for now, just to try it out)...

ChDir "c:\Program Files\IFs"
Shell "c:\Program Files\IFs\IFs.exe", vbNormalFocus

thanq friend, it really worked well.
thanq every body.

also can we chage the directory dynamically?
i tried
ChDir " & st & "
and
ChDir st

but they didnt work.

any how my problem was solved.
thanq every body

[Killer42]

thanq friend, it really worked well.
thanq every body.

Excellent! Glad we could help. :)

As for the ChDir, certainly it can be done dynamically. It accepts a string argument. As is almost always the case in VB, this means you can use any expression which resolves to a string. For example, the following all produce the same result.

Dim strFullPath As String
Dim strPart1 As String, strPart2 As String
strFullPath = "C:\Temp\Temp2"
strPart1 = "Temp"
strPart2 = "p2"
' Version 1, a simple string literal...
ChDir "C:\Temp\Temp2"
' Version 2, a simple string variable...
ChDir strFullPath
' Version 3, all sorts of things concatenated...
ChDir "C:\" & strPart1 & "\Tem" & strPart2