How do you implement retry logic when reading a file that may be temporarily unavailable?

Question

ICSM Computer · Answer

To implement retry logic when reading a file that may be 
temporarily unavailable (e.g., locked by another process), you can use a
try-catch loop with delays and retry limits.
Example: Retry File Read with Delay
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading;
class FileReadWithRetry
{
    public static string ReadFileWithRetries(string filePath, int maxRetries = 5, int delayMs = 1000)
    {
        int attempt = 0;
        while (true)
        {
            try
            {
                // Attempt to read the file
                using (FileStream stream = new FileStream(
                    filePath,
                    FileMode.Open,
                    FileAccess.Read,
                    FileShare.Read)) // Adjust sharing mode as needed
                using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(stream))
                {
                    return reader.ReadToEnd();
                }
            }
            catch (IOException ex)
            {
                attempt++;
                if (attempt andgt;= maxRetries)
                    throw new IOException($"Failed to read file after {maxRetries} attempts.", ex);
                Console.WriteLine($"File is unavailable (attempt {attempt}), retrying in {delayMs} ms...");
                Thread.Sleep(delayMs);
            }
        }
    }
}
Usage
try
{
    string content = FileReadWithRetry.ReadFileWithRetries("data.txt");
    Console.WriteLine("File read successfully.");
}
catch (IOException ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Failed to read file: " + ex.Message);
}
Parameters You Can Tune
maxRetries: How many times to retry.delayMs: Milliseconds to wait between attempts.Adjust FileShare.Read to FileShare.None if you need exclusive access.
Best Practices
Avoid tight retry loops — use a delay.Log each retry or failure for diagnostics.In async apps, consider using Task.Delay() with async/await instead of
Thread.Sleep.
Read More
How do you create a temporary file in C#?What is the use of BufferedStream in file handling?How do you read a large file efficiently without loading the entire content into memory?How do you handle exceptions when working with files in C#?

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How do you implement retry logic when reading a file that may be temporarily unavailable?

ICSM Computer

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1 Answers

Example: Retry File Read with Delay

Usage

Parameters You Can Tune

Best Practices

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