OpenFileDialog.InitialDirectory not behaving

Question

OpenFileDialog.InitialDirectory not behaving

Lance James 371

I can't get the expected behavior intended. The desired directory does not open. It opens to My Documents.

OpenFileDialog openFileDialog = new OpenFileDialog();
openFileDialog.InitialDirectory = System.IO.Path.GetFullPath(@"\fs01\home\customerinventory\");
openFileDialog.FileName = "";
openFileDialog.ShowDialog();

Or

OpenFileDialog openFileDialog = new OpenFileDialog();
openFileDialog.InitialDirectory = @"\fs01\home\customerinventory\";
openFileDialog.FileName = "";
openFileDialog.ShowDialog();

Regards,
Lance

Viorel 120.4K Reputation points

2022-02-19T18:53:57.513+00:00

Does it work if you first go to that network folder manually using File Explorer, and maybe enter the password, if required?

Also check if your code works in case of usual local folders.
Jack J Jun 24,881 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-02-21T08:50:23.54+00:00

@Lance James ，I want to kniow if your path **\fs01\home\customerinventory** is a shared path or other kind of path.
Lance James 371 Reputation points

2022-02-21T18:28:46.973+00:00

It is a fully qualified network path.

Regards,
Lance

1 answer

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Viorel 120.4K Reputation points

2022-02-19T18:53:57.513+00:00

Does it work if you first go to that network folder manually using File Explorer, and maybe enter the password, if required?

Also check if your code works in case of usual local folders.
Jack J Jun 24,881 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-02-21T08:50:23.54+00:00

@Lance James ，I want to kniow if your path **\fs01\home\customerinventory** is a shared path or other kind of path.
Lance James 371 Reputation points

2022-02-21T18:28:46.973+00:00

It is a fully qualified network path.

Regards,
Lance

Answer 1

Lance James 371

Viorel1, your suspicions were correct.

If I manually navigate to the directory via File Explorer prior to running the program, the OpenFileDialog behaves as I intended.

Reviewing the other properties and methods of OpenFileDialog, nothing pops as being the solution. Reset and RestoreDirectory seemed like candidates but their description seems to indicate otherwise.

If I use folderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath, I at least get to the directory and can navigate from there.

Best Regards,
Lance

Lance James 371 Reputation points

2022-02-21T19:17:35.283+00:00

One last thing to share is that I tried this with a mapped network drive (W:) and it worked. I cannot get it to work with UNC.

This presents the obvious problem that each computer can have different mapped drive letters or no mapping at all.

Regards,
Lance
Richard Sidell 0 Reputation points

2023-12-07T10:34:28.8966667+00:00

this has been a well known open issue for over a decade and none of the proposed solutions seem to work. Why hasnt Microsoft fixed it? I should be very easy to fix.

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OpenFileDialog.InitialDirectory not behaving

1 answer

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