How do you monitor a network folder for new files?

Question

ICSM Computer · Answer

To monitor a network folder for new files in C#, you can use the
FileSystemWatcher class, which works on both local and network paths (e.g.,
\server\share or a mapped drive).
Example: Monitor a Network Folder for New Files
using System;
using System.IO;
class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string networkPath = @"\server\sharedfolder"; // or mapped drive like "Z:\sharedfolder"
        using FileSystemWatcher watcher = new FileSystemWatcher
        {
            Path = networkPath,
            Filter = "*.*", // watch all file types
            NotifyFilter = NotifyFilters.FileName | NotifyFilters.CreationTime,
            IncludeSubdirectories = false, // true if needed
            EnableRaisingEvents = true
        };
        watcher.Created += (s, e) =andgt;
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"New file detected: {e.FullPath}");
        };
        Console.WriteLine("Watching network folder for new files. Press Enter to exit.");
        Console.ReadLine();
    }
}
Notes
Ensure the app has read permissions on the network share.The FileSystemWatcher depends on underlying OS file change notifications, so it generally works on
SMB/CIFS shares.Some network file systems (e.g., NFS or certain cloud-mounted drives) may not support change notifications. In that case, use
polling (see below).
Alternative: Polling Fallback (if watcher fails on network)
var knownFiles = new HashSetandlt;stringandgt;(Directory.GetFiles(networkPath));
while (true)
{
    var currentFiles = Directory.GetFiles(networkPath);
    foreach (var file in currentFiles)
    {
        if (!knownFiles.Contains(file))
        {
            Console.WriteLine("New file found: " + file);
            knownFiles.Add(file);
        }
    }
    Thread.Sleep(5000); // check every 5 seconds
}
Best Practices
Handle exceptions (e.g., access denied, path not found).Use try/catch inside event handlers — network paths can become unavailable.Log the event timestamp and file name for auditing.

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How do you monitor a network folder for new files?

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1 Answers

Example: Monitor a Network Folder for New Files

Notes

Alternative: Polling Fallback (if watcher fails on network)

Best Practices

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