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How do I create this directory using this function? I keep getting an access denied error.(C#)

First, let me begin by saying I know this appears to be a commonly asked question, but trust me, I've searched extensively and I couldn't find the answer to my question specifically. IF you do happen to know where this specific question was asked, by all means, mark it as a duplicate and reference me there, and accept my apologies for not finding it.
Now, I have a simple if function in my code:
if (!Directory.Exists(FileDirectory))
{
Directory.CreateDirectory(FileDirectory);
}
However, upon running this if Function, I get this error code:
System.UnauthorizedAccessException: 'Access to the path 'C:\Program Files\LockingProgram\Password.txt;' is denied.'
Now, obviously the problem is that the access is denied. How would I gain access?
I have tried simply writing the file instantly, however then it won't find the path
File.WriteAllText(FileDirectory, Password);
throws this error:
System.IO.DirectoryNotFoundException: 'Could not find a part of the path 'C:\Program Files\LockingProgram\Password.txt;'
The FileDirectory string is:
string FileDirectory = "C:\\Program Files\\LockingProgram\\Password.txt;";
Currently, what the program is trying to do is get a password from the user when they click a button, and then saves that password to a txt file located at the file directory for future reference. When they open the program, it checks if the file exists. If it exists, it sets the password to that file, and if it doesn't it forces the user to enter a string into a text box and from there, I am trying to save it. However, that's where I'm having the problem.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Edit: I now understand it's generally a bad idea to save it to Program Files, and you should use AppData instead. I'll try that and update you if it works that time.
Edit 2: It now works. I changed the file directory to:
string FileDirectory = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData) + "LockingApp";
And I added a new variable:
string FileName = "Password.txt";
And I modified where the directory is created to:
if (!Directory.Exists(FileDirectory))
{
Directory.CreateDirectory(FileDirectory);
}
File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(FileDirectory, FileName), Password);
Thanks for your help guys! Hopefully I formatted this question well.

C:\\Program Files\\LockingProgram\\Password.txt;
is not a directory, use
FileDirectory = #"C:\Program Files\LockingProgram";
Directory.CreateDirectory(FileDirectory);
Also there is a probably a good chance you will need to run your program at an elevated privilege or with the appropriate permissions, i.e as an administrator
However there are better places to store data
Where Should I Store my Data and Configuration Files if I Target Multiple OS Versions?
ie AppData, for example
Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData)

You can use Isolated Storage for saving files (Seems the easiest and least tasking to use).
Check this code sample below
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.IO.IsolatedStorage;
public class CreatingFilesDirectories
{
public static void Main()
{
using (IsolatedStorageFile isoStore = IsolatedStorageFile.GetStore(IsolatedStorageScope.User | IsolatedStorageScope.Domain | IsolatedStorageScope.Assembly, null, null))
{
isoStore.CreateDirectory("TopLevelDirectory");
isoStore.CreateDirectory("TopLevelDirectory/SecondLevel");
isoStore.CreateDirectory("AnotherTopLevelDirectory/InsideDirectory");
Console.WriteLine("Created directories.");
isoStore.CreateFile("InTheRoot.txt");
Console.WriteLine("Created a new file in the root.");
isoStore.CreateFile("AnotherTopLevelDirectory/InsideDirectory/HereIAm.txt");
Console.WriteLine("Created a new file in the InsideDirectory.");
}
}
}

"Could not find a part of the path" error message

I am programming in c# and want to copy a folder with subfolders from a flash disk to startup.
Here is my code:
private void copyBat()
{
try
{
string source_dir = "E:\\Debug\\VipBat";
string destination_dir = "C:\\Users\\pc\\AppData\\Roaming\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Startup";
if (!System.IO.Directory.Exists(destination_dir))
{
System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(destination_dir);
}
// Create subdirectory structure in destination
foreach (string dir in Directory.GetDirectories(source_dir, "*", System.IO.SearchOption.AllDirectories))
{
Directory.CreateDirectory(destination_dir + dir.Substring(source_dir.Length));
}
foreach (string file_name in Directory.GetFiles(source_dir, "*.*", System.IO.SearchOption.AllDirectories))
{
File.Copy(file_name, destination_dir + file_name.Substring(source_dir.Length), true);
}
}
catch (Exception e)
{
MessageBox.Show(e.Message, "HATA", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Warning);
}
}
I got an error:
Could not find a part of the path E:\Debug\VipBat

The path you are trying to access is not present.
string source_dir = "E:\\Debug\\VipBat\\{0}";
I'm sure that this is not the correct path. Debug folder directly in E: drive looks wrong to me. I guess there must be the project name folder directory present.
Second thing; what is {0} in your string. I am sure that it is an argument placeholder because folder name cannot contains {0} such name. So you need to use String.Format() to replace the actual value.
string source_dir = String.Format("E:\\Debug\\VipBat\\{0}",variableName);
But first check the path existence that you are trying to access.

There's something wrong. You have written:
string source_dir = #"E:\\Debug\\VipBat\\{0}";
and the error was
Could not find a part of the path E\Debug\VCCSBat
This is not the same directory.
In your code there's a problem, you have to use:
string source_dir = #"E:\Debug\VipBat"; // remove {0} and the \\ if using #
or
string source_dir = "E:\\Debug\\VipBat"; // remove {0} and the # if using \\

Is the drive E a mapped drive? Then, it can be created by another account other than the user account. This may be the cause of the error.

I had the same error, although in my case the problem was with the formatting of the DESTINATION path. The comments above are correct with respect to debugging the path string formatting, but there seems to be a bug in the File.Copy exception reporting where it still throws back the SOURCE path instead of the DESTINATION path. So don't forget to look here as well.
-TC

Probably unrelated, but consider using Path.Combine instead of destination_dir + dir.Substring(...). From the look of it, your .Substring() will leave a backlash at the beginning, but the helper classes like Path are there for a reason.

There can be one of the two cause for this error:
Path is not correct - but it is less likely as CreateDirectory should create any path unless path itself is not valid, read invalid characters
Account through which your application is running don't have rights to create directory at path location, like if you are trying to create directory on shared drive with not enough privileges etc

File.Copy(file_name, destination_dir + file_name.Substring(source_dir.Length), true);
This line has the error because what the code expected is the directory name + file name, not the file name.
This is the correct one
File.Copy(source_dir + file_name, destination_dir + file_name.Substring(source_dir.Length), true);

We just had this error message occur because the full path was greater than 260 characters -- the Windows limit for a path and file name. The error message is misleading in this case, but shortening the path solved it for us, if that's an option.

I resolved a similar issue by simply restarting Visual Studio with admin rights.
The problem was because it couldn't open one project related to Sharepoint without elevated access.

This could also be the issue: Space in the folder name
Example:
Let this be your path:
string source_dir = #"E:\Debug\VipBat";
If you try accessing this location without trying to check if directory exists, and just in case the directory had a space at the end, like :
"VipBat    ", instead of just "VipBat" the space at the end will not be visible when you see in the file explorer.
So make sure you got the correct folder name and dont add spaces to folder names. And a best practice is to check if folder exists before you keep the file there.

" 'System.UnauthorizedAccessException' occurred in mscorlib.dll" while trying to create file in the C:\ drive

I'm doing this project where I grab some information and save it to a file. While trying to create that file, I always get an System.UnauthorizedAccesssException error. I've tried adding a manifest file and requiring admin, still doesn't work. I've also released it and ran the program through the \bin folder, and it still didn't work.
Here is my code:
public static void CreateFile(string path, string name)
{
Debug.WriteLine("Starting to create file...");
string Name = name;
string path2 = path;
string fullPath = Path.Combine(path2, Name);
using (FileStream fs = new FileStream(fullPath, FileMode.Create))
{
Debug.WriteLine("File Created");
}
}
I also tried going to the Microsoft website and using their method of creating a file, and it still didn't work, I got the same error!
Question is, how I give access to the program in order to write to the C:\ drive?

By default most user accounts lack the necessary access to write directly to the C:\ drive. The exception, UnauthorizedAccessException, indicates that this is the case here.
To make this work you're going to need to either
Pick a more standard location to write the file
Give the account under which this program runs access to the C:\ drive.
Of the two #1 is by far the more preferable option

Directory.Move(): Access to Path is Denied

I'm writing this Windows Form Application in Visual Studio 2010 using C#.
There is a Execute button on the form, the user will hit the button, the program will generate some files and are stored in the Output folder (which is created by the program using Directory.CreateDirectory())
I want to create an Archive folder to save the output files from previous runs.
In the beginning of each run, I try to move the existing Output folder to the Archive folder, then create a new Output folder. Below is the function I ran to move directory.
static void moveToArchive()
{
if (!Directory.Exists("Archive")) Directory.CreateDirectory("Archive");
string timestamp = DateTime.Now.ToString("yyyyMMddHHmms");
try
{
Directory.Move("Output", "Archive\\" + timestamp);
}
catch(Exception e)
{
Console.WriteLine("Can not move folder: " + e.Message);
}
}
The problem I ran into confuses me a lot...
There are some times that I can successfully move the Output folder to archive, but sometimes it fails.
The error message I got from catching the exception is Access to path 'Output' is denied.
I have checked that all the files in the Output folder are not in use. I don't understand how access is denied sometimes and not all the times.
Can someone explain to me and show me how to resolve the problem?
--Edit--
After HansPassant comment, I modified the function a little to get the current directory and use the full path. However, I'm still having the same issue.
The function now looks like this:
static void moveToArchive()
{
string currentDir = Environment.CurrentDirectory;
Console.WriteLine("Current Directory = " + currentDir);
if (!Directory.Exists(currentDir + "\\Archive")) Directory.CreateDirectory(currentDir + "\\Archive");
string timestamp = DateTime.Now.ToString("yyyyMMddHHmms");
try
{
Directory.Move(currentDir + "\\Output", currentDir + "\\Archive\\" + timestamp);
}
catch(Exception e)
{
Console.WriteLine("Can not move folder: " + e.Message);
}
}
I printed out the current directory and it is just as what I was expecting, and I'm still having trouble using full path. Access to path 'C:\Users\Me\Desktop\FormApp\Output' is denied.
--Edit--
Thank you everyone for answering and commenting.
I think some of you miss this part so I'm going stress it a bit more.
The Directory.Move() sometimes work and sometimes fails.
When the function succeed, there was no problem. Output folder is moved to Archive
When the function fails, the exception message I got was Access to path denied.

Thank you all for the replies and help. I have figured out what the issue was.
It is because there was a file that's not completely closed.
I was checking the files that were generated, and missed the files the program was reading from.
All files that were generated were closed completely. It was one file I used StreamReader to open but didn't close. I modified the code and am now not having problem, so I figure that's were the issue was.
Thanks for all the comments and answers, that definitely help me with thinking and figuring out the problem.

See http://windowsxp.mvps.org/processlock.htm
Sometimes, you try to move or delete a file or folder and receive access violation or file in use - errors. To successfully delete a file, you will need to identify the process which has locked the file. You need to exit the process first and then delete the particular file. To know which process has locked a file, you may use one of the methods discussed in this article.
Using Process Explorer - download from http://download.sysinternals.com/files/ProcessExplorer.zip
Process Explorer shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.
Download Process Explorer from Microsoft site and run the program.
Click the Find menu, and choose Find Handle or DLL...
Type the file name (name of the file which is locked by some process.)
After typing the search phrase, click the Search button
You should see the list of applications which are accessing the file.

I bumped on the same problem recently. Using PE I'd figured that only process using that particular directory was explorer.exe. I'd opened few windows with explorer, one pointing to parent directory of one that I was about to move.
It appeared, that after I visited that sub-folder and then returned (even to root level!) the handle was still being kept by explorer, so C# was not able to modify it in any way (changing flags, attributes etc.).
I had to kill that explorer window in order to made C# operate properly.

File.SetAttributes(Application.dataPath + "/script", FileAttributes.Normal);
Directory.Move(Application.dataPath + "/script", Application.dataPath + "/../script");
This fixed my problem.

Try this:
If this does not solve, maybe check/change the antivirus, or the some other program is locking some file in or the folder.
static object moveLocker = new object();
static void moveToArchive()
{
lock (moveLocker)
{
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(2000); // Give sometime to ensure all file are closed.
//Environment.CurrentDirectory = System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory;
string applicationPath = System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory;
string archiveBaseDirectoryPath = System.IO.Path.Combine(applicationPath, "Archive");
if (!Directory.Exists(archiveBaseDirectoryPath)) Directory.CreateDirectory(archiveBaseDirectoryPath);
String timestamp = DateTime.Now.ToString("yyyyMMddHHmms");
String outputDirectory = System.IO.Path.Combine(Environment.CurrentDirectory, "Output");
String destinationTS = System.IO.Path.Combine(archiveBaseDirectoryPath, timestamp);
try
{
Directory.Move(outputDirectory, destinationTS);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
Console.WriteLine("Can not move folder " + outputDirectory + " to: " + destinationTS + "\n" + ex.Message);
}
}
}

I had the same problem, it failed sometimes but not all the time. I thought I'd wrap it in a Try Catch block and present the user with an Access Denied message and once I wrapped it in the Try Catch block it stopped failing. I can't explain why.
If existingFile.FileName <> newFileName Then
Dim dir As New IO.DirectoryInfo(existingFile.FilePath)
Dim path As String = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(dir.FullName)
newFileName = path & "\" & newFileName
File.SetAttributes(existingFile.FilePath, FileAttributes.Normal)
Try
IO.File.Move(existingFile.FilePath, newFileName)
Catch ex As Exception
End Try
End If

I had a similar problem. Renamed many directories in a loop when following the certain template. From time to time the program crashed on different directories. It helped to add a sleep thread before Directory.Move. I need to create some delay.
But it slows down the copying process.
foreach (var currentFullDirPath in Directory.GetDirectories(startTargetFullDirectory, "*", SearchOption.AllDirectories))
{
var shortCurrentFolderName = new DirectoryInfo(currentFullDirPath).Name.ToLower();
if (shortCurrentFolderName.Contains(shortSourceDirectoryName))
{
// Add Thread.Sleep(1000);
Thread.Sleep(1000);
var newFullDirName = ...;
Directory.Move(currentFullDirPath, newFullDirName);
}
}

UnauthorizedAccessException trying to delete a file in a folder where I can delete others files with the same code

I'm getting a Unauthorized Access Exception
in a file which I can delete manually.
in a folder where I'm able to delete by code other files
and the file isn't marked as read only
besides, I'm using Windows XP in a standalone PC and I have not assigned any permissions to the folder or the file.
no other process is using the file
If it helps, this is the code where the exception ocurrs:
protected void DeleteImage(string imageName)
{
if (imageName != null)
{
string f = String.Format("~/Images/{0}", imageName);
f = System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironment.MapPath(f);
if (File.Exists(f))
{
if (f != null) File.Delete(f);
}
}
}
Why could this happen?

I encountered the same problem, and found that writing my own Directory.Delete wrapper fixed it up. This is recursive by default:
using System.IO;
public void DeleteDirectory(string targetDir)
{
File.SetAttributes(targetDir, FileAttributes.Normal);
string[] files = Directory.GetFiles(targetDir);
string[] dirs = Directory.GetDirectories(targetDir);
foreach (string file in files)
{
File.SetAttributes(file, FileAttributes.Normal);
File.Delete(file);
}
foreach (string dir in dirs)
{
DeleteDirectory(dir);
}
Directory.Delete(targetDir, false);
}

If the directory contains a read only file, it won't delete that using Directory.Delete. It's a silly implementation by MS.
I am surprised no one suggested this method on the internet, which deletes the directory without recursing through it and changing every file's attributes. Here's that:
Process.Start("cmd.exe", "/c " + #"rmdir /s/q C:\Test\TestDirectoryContainingReadOnlyFiles");
(Change a bit to not to fire a cmd window momentarily, which is available all over the internet)

If it's not read-only it's possible that it is currently in use by another process.

Checking the obvious first...
When you open the file property and take a look at its security settings. Does the user running the code (i.e. if this is ASP.NET, Network Services / Domain Service Account) has access to actually delete the file?
If it is not, then change it and try again.
Are you running as administrator when trying to delete this manually?
If you are, then that's probably why you are able to delete it manually. Try deleting it as the account running your ASP.NET (I'm assuming it is ASP.NET since you are using System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironment.MapPath.)
If both failed, try to see if any other process is actually currently using this file. Good tool to find out is SysInternal Process Monitor. Filter it by path containing your filename and you should see if anything is using it. Terminate the process and try again.

I too faced the Same Problem but eventually came up with a Generic Approach. Below are my codes.
String pathfile = "C:\Users\Public\Documents\Filepath.txt" ;
if (!Directory.Exists(pathfile))
{
File.SetAttributes(pathfile, FileAttributes.Normal);
File.Delete(pathfile);
}
using (FileStream fs = File.Create(pathfile))
{
Byte[] info = new UTF8Encoding(true).GetBytes("What Ever Your Text is");
fs.Write(info, 0, info.Length);
File.SetAttributes(pathfile, FileAttributes.ReadOnly);
}

You, the human user, have a login with certain rights. The Web server might have a different login with different rights. A user starting with IUSR_XXXX or some such thing. Make sure that user has rights to the directory.
Without more info on the context in which you are deleting the file, I assume that the Web server user has different rights to a file than you do.