FindFirstFile returns access denied

Question

I'm trying to create a robust recursive folder deleter function.

With normal directories works pretty fine.

The problem appears when I create a "hardcore" direcory, like:

C:\test\x\x\x\x\x\x\x\x\x\x\x\x\x\x\x\x\x\x\x\x\ ... \x\x\x

The length of this is around 25000 (less then the MSDN limit: 32,767). Basically I created this directory recursively until the CreatDirectory function failed.

Now, the strangest thing is, that my function is able to delete 2 directories then the FindFirstFile fails with 0x5:

\\?\C:\test\x\ ... \x\x\x\*.*    < no error
\\?\C:\test\x\ ... \x\x\*.*      < no error
\\?\C:\test\x\ ... \x\*.*        < access denied

(I can rerun the it, the app is slowly chews up the folder, 2 by 2, probably until the path length gets pretty small)

I'm running FindFirstFile to check if the folder is empty.

• Is there any sort of limitation that is less documented?
• The FindFirstFile just simply doesn't work? (buggy?)
• Am I missing some sort of NTFS permission thing?
• Something else ...

EDIT: IMPORTANT NOTE: If I run the program step by step slowly ... then nothing will fail.

Answer 1

You are probably experiencing something like a virus scanner, indexer or continuous-backup solution holding a handle to the directory. If the Indexing Service is configured to index that folder for example.

Trying to delete a folder or file which is open other than with FILE_SHARE_DELETE flag will cause ACCESS_DENIED.

To confirm this, use Process Monitor to see opens and closes on anything matching your path.

(Of course also confirm you called FindClose).