Directory.EnumerateFiles => UnauthorizedAccessException

Question

There is a nice new method in .NET 4.0 for getting files in a directory in a streaming way via enumeration.

The problem here is that if one wishes to enumerate all f

Answer 1

Ths issue with the above answer is that is does not take care of exception in sub directories. This would be a better way to handling those exceptions so you get ALL files from ALL subdirectories except those with threw an access exception:

    /// 

    /// A safe way to get all the files in a directory and sub directory without crashing on UnauthorizedException or PathTooLongException
    /// 
    /// Starting directory
    /// Filename pattern match
    /// Search subdirectories or only top level directory for files
    /// List of files
    public static IEnumerable GetDirectoryFiles(string rootPath, string patternMatch, SearchOption searchOption)
    {
        var foundFiles = Enumerable.Empty();

        if (searchOption == SearchOption.AllDirectories)
        {
            try
            {
                IEnumerable subDirs = Directory.EnumerateDirectories(rootPath);
                foreach (string dir in subDirs)
                {
                    foundFiles = foundFiles.Concat(GetDirectoryFiles(dir, patternMatch, searchOption)); // Add files in subdirectories recursively to the list
                }
            }
            catch (UnauthorizedAccessException) { }
            catch (PathTooLongException) {}
        }

        try
        {
            foundFiles = foundFiles.Concat(Directory.EnumerateFiles(rootPath, patternMatch)); // Add files from the current directory
        }
        catch (UnauthorizedAccessException) { }

        return foundFiles;
    }