See if Files, Folders and Drives Exist

Advanced Tip

These functions will allow to determine whether files, folders and drives exist at runtime. (Taken from AllenOCX)

Code to see whether a file exists:

Public Function FExists(OrigFile As String)
Dim fs
Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
FExists = fs.fileexists(OrigFile)
End Function
'Returns a boolean - True if the file exists

Code to see whether a folder exists:

Public Function DirExists(OrigFile As String)
Dim fs
Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
DirExists = fs.folderexists(OrigFile)
End Function
'Returns a boolean - True if the folder exists

Code to check the state of a drive (returns 0 if the drive does not exist, 1 if the drive exists but contains no media, 2 if the drive exists and contains media. Hard-drives will always return 2):

Public Function DExists(OrigFile As String)
Dim fs, d
Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    If fs.driveexists(OrigFile) = True Then
    Set d = fs.getdrive(OrigFile)
    DExists = 1
        If d.isready = True Then
        DExists = 2
        Exit Function
        End If
    Else
    DExists = 0
    End If
End Function

Comments

From:	Joe G
Date:	Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 03:50:16
Comments:	I ran a speed test and the "FileSystemObject" example is about twice as fast as the "If Dir('C:\folder', vbDirectory) = vbNullString" example. If speed is important use the FileSystemObject! Joe G.

From:

Hasan

Date:

Thursday, February 2, 2006 at 17:02:47

Comments:

Hello,
i just checked your DRIVE EXIST code...
ok now in my vb project how would i call it?

please let me know.

thanx

Reply:

You need to copy the whole function into your Visual Basic code and then you can call it from any other procedure e.g.:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
If DExists( "a") = 1 Then MsgBox "The A: drive is not yet ready", vbExclamation, "Check Floppy Drive"
End Sub

From:	Vinu Lakshman
Date:	Monday, July 11, 2005 at 10:37:41
Comments:	Hello Martin, Thanks Martin. Ure site was really helpful to me.

From:	Kristlyn
Date:	Monday, May 30, 2005 at 05:37:45
Comments:	Tnx for this site... It really helped me a lot in doing my work...=) thanks!!!

From:	yurivish
Date:	Tuesday, August 10, 2004 at 23:15:57
Comments:	cant you just do if dir(filename) <> "" then it exists??

Reply:

You can do it this way. It is best to include the attributes for hidden and system files as well so that they can also be detected e.g.:

a = Dir("C:\pagefile.sys", vbHidden + vbSystem)

From:

DaMaster

Date:

Thursday, August 5, 2004 at 20:25:27

Comments:

jam graty:
Actually you can do a code for this instead where you use statements as:

for each folder in root.subfolders
next

set root as a fso (FileSystemObject) with the folder you want to start searching from. then use a loop-statement to continue searching in subfolders of the subfolders.

in each folder you use following statement:

for each file in folder.files
next

where you dim file, set folder as a FSO with the value of the current folder.

Example: (this example search through a folders subfolders. use a loop-statement to make the code search thorugh upfollowing subfolders)

Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set Root = fso.Getfolder(App.Path)

For Each folder In Root.subfolders

For Each ffile In folder.Files 'Root2.Files
   If LCase(ffile) = LCase(AWhereto) Then 'FOUND THE ILE
      msgbox "File found!"
      Exit Sub
      End If
Next

From:	YUSSRI
Date:	Tuesday, August 3, 2004 at 09:29:42
Comments:	your web site is so useful and provide an easy ,creative and more practical way of learning. so plz keep on

From:

ranganath <ranganath_prasad_babu>

Date:

Tuesday, June 22, 2004 at 07:34:37

Comments:

Dear Sir/Madam

Ur forums are excellent this will help many people
please continue in the same way

all the best

urs truly
ranganath

From:

Ted Belben

Date:

Saturday, February 14, 2004 at 21:32:50

Comments:

Regerding my previous E-Mail related to your code "See of Files, Folders and Drives Exist" and my question related to creating folders, I think I stumbled on the solution as follows:

Public Sub FoldExists(Folder As String)

' This function checks if required folders exists and if not, will create the folder

Dim MyFileSystem

Set MyFileSystem = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

If MyFileSystem.FolderExists(Folder) = False Then
MyFileSystem.CreateFolder (Folder)
End If

End Sub

I used a Sub rather than a function since the requirement was very simple and not used elsewhere in the code. I just call the sub where needed.

I suggest you publish the solution on your web page for others to use.

Ted

Reply:

You can also use this code to see if a folder exists:

If Dir("C:\folder", vbDirectory) = vbNullString Then 'folder doesn't exist

And this code to create a folder:

MkDir "C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP\A new folder"

From:	Humulus
Date:	Friday, October 17, 2003 at 11:18:05
Comments:	I had to check if a drive exists from within a Microsoft Access-database. First hit on Google was this. It works great. Thanks!

From:	Timothy
Date:	Friday, August 1, 2003 at 22:33:24
Comments:	Spectacular Code! Thanks!

From:	ManojRajan
Date:	Thursday, June 26, 2003 at 13:41:52
Comments:	Nice One that really worksssssssss. Thanks Martin for the help Actually i was in the middle of a module when i required this stuff. Thanks once again.

From:	jam graty
Date:	Thursday, November 21, 2002 at 23:30:07
Comments:	please help, i need my program to find a file but in your example i don't know were to put it!

Reply:

These functions cannot be used to find files, they simply return True or False if a file or folder exists or in the case of the third function, 0, 1 or 2 depending on the state of a specified drive.

You need to use the File Search OCX file to do this - click here.

See if Files, Folders and Drives Exist

Advanced Tip

Comments

Martin Allen 1999 - 2006. Last updated Monday 29 May 2006 06:28:42 PM +0100.