Windows.Storage Namespace

Provides classes for managing files, folders, and application settings.

For info about how to use the objects in the Windows.Storage namespace, see the following sections.

• Files, folders, and libraries
• Store and retrieve settings and other app data

Classes

AppDataPaths	AppDataPaths returns paths to commonly used application folders based on the KNOWNFOLDERID naming pattern.
ApplicationData	Provides access to the application data store. Application data consists of files and settings that are either local, roaming, or temporary.
ApplicationDataCompositeValue	Represents related app settings that must be serialized and deserialized atomically.
ApplicationDataContainer	Represents a container for app settings. The methods and properties of this class support creating, deleting, enumerating, and traversing the container hierarchy.
ApplicationDataContainerSettings	Provides access to the settings in a settings container. The ApplicationDataContainer.Values property returns an object that can be cast to this type.
CachedFileManager	Lets apps manage real-time updates to files.
DownloadsFolder	Creates files and folders inside the Downloads folder.
FileIO	Provides helper methods for reading and writing files that are represented by objects of type IStorageFile.
KnownFolders	Provides access to common locations that contain user content. This includes content from a user's local libraries (such as Documents, Pictures, Music, and Videos), HomeGroup, removable devices, and media server devices.
PathIO	Provides helper methods for reading and writing a file using the absolute path or Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of the file.
SetVersionDeferral	Manages a delayed set version operation.
SetVersionRequest	Provides data when an app sets the version of the application data in its app data store.
StorageFile	Represents a file. Provides information about the file and its content, and ways to manipulate them.
StorageFolder	Manages folders and their contents and provides information about them.
StorageLibrary	Lets you add and remove folders from a library like Music or Videos and lets you get a list of folders included in the library.
StorageLibraryChange	Represents a change to an item in a storage library such as the documents, music, or video library.
StorageLibraryChangeReader	Enables the calling app to read through the changes to items in a storage library.
StorageLibraryChangeTracker	Provides APIs that you can use to manage change tracking for any library (such as documents, music, or videos) or folder.
StorageLibraryChangeTrackerOptions	Allows callers to call EnableWithOptions on the change tracker to choose to track all changes including last change id, or just the last change id.
StorageLibraryLastChangeId	Allows you to track changes based on a unique value representing the last change processed by the indexing service for the given StorageFolder or StorageLibrary.
StorageProvider	Contains info about the service that stores files and folders. Files and folders may be stored either by the local file system or by a remote service like Microsoft OneDrive.
StorageStreamTransaction	Represents a write transaction for a random-access stream.
StreamedFileDataRequest	Represents a sequential-access output stream that indicates a request for the data stream of a StorageFile that was created by calling CreateStreamedFileAsync or ReplaceWithStreamedFileAsync.
SystemAudioProperties	A helper object that provides indexing names for Windows audio file properties.
SystemDataPaths	Gets some commonly used system wide folder locations based on the KNOWNFOLDERID naming pattern.
SystemGPSProperties	A helper object that provides indexing names for GPS file properties.
SystemImageProperties	A helper object that provides indexing names for Windows image file properties.
SystemMediaProperties	A helper object that provides indexing names for Windows media file properties.
SystemMusicProperties	A helper object that provides indexing names for Windows music file properties.
SystemPhotoProperties	A helper object that provides indexing names for Windows photo file properties.
SystemProperties	Provides string values for indexing names of common Windows file properties such as System.Title, and also references helper objects that provide indexing names for properties of specific file types (for example video files).
SystemVideoProperties	A helper object that provides indexing names for video file properties.
UserDataPaths	Returns full paths for common user data folders. User data folders are based on the KNOWNFOLDERID naming pattern.

Interfaces

IStorageFile	Represents a file. Provides information about the file and its contents, and ways to manipulate them. Important If you simply want to work with files in your app, see the StorageFile class.
IStorageFile2	Represents a file. Provides information about the file and its contents, and ways to manipulate them. Important If you simply want to work with files in your app, see the StorageFile class.
IStorageFilePropertiesWithAvailability	Provides access to the IsAvailable property.
IStorageFolder	Manipulates folders and their contents, and provides information about them. Important If you simply want to work with folders in your app, see the StorageFolder class.
IStorageFolder2	Manipulates folders and their contents, and provides information about them. Important If you simply want to work with folders in your app, see the StorageFolder class.
IStorageItem	Manipulates storage items (files and folders) and their contents, and provides information about them. Important If you simply want to work with files and folders in your app, see the StorageFile and StorageFolder classes.
IStorageItem2	Manipulates storage items (files and folders) and their contents, and provides information about them. Important If you simply want to work with files and folders in your app, see the StorageFile and StorageFolder classes.
IStorageItemProperties	Provides access to common and content properties on items (like files and folders).
IStorageItemProperties2	Provides access to methods that get a scaled image as a thumbnail.
IStorageItemPropertiesWithProvider	Provides access to common and content properties on storage items from a particular provider.
IStreamedFileDataRequest	Represents a sequential-access output stream that indicates a request for the data stream of a StorageFile that was created by calling CreateStreamedFileAsync or ReplaceWithStreamedFileAsync.

Enums

ApplicationDataCreateDisposition	Specifies options for creating application data containers or returning existing containers. This enumeration is used by the ApplicationDataContainer.CreateContainer method.
ApplicationDataLocality	Specifies the type of an application data store.
CreationCollisionOption	Specifies what to do if a file or folder with the specified name already exists in the current folder when you create a new file or folder.
FileAccessMode	Specifies whether to access a file in read-only mode or in read/write mode.
FileAttributes	Describes the attributes of a file or folder.
KnownFolderId	Provides values that identify storage folders.
KnownFoldersAccessStatus	Describes a known folder's access to a single capability.
KnownLibraryId	Provides values that identify storage libraries.
NameCollisionOption	Specifies what to do if a file or folder with the specified name already exists in the current folder when you copy, move, or rename a file or folder.
StorageDeleteOption	Specifies whether a deleted item is moved to the Recycle Bin or permanently deleted.
StorageItemTypes	Describes whether an item that implements the IStorageItem interface is a file or a folder.
StorageLibraryChangeType	Describes the type of change that occurred to the storage library item.
StorageOpenOptions	Provides options to use when opening a file.
StreamedFileFailureMode	Indicates the reason that data could not be streamed.

Delegates

ApplicationDataSetVersionHandler	Represents a method that handles the request to set the version of the application data in the application data store.
StreamedFileDataRequestedHandler	Represents the method that will stream data into a StorageFile when that file is first accessed.

See also

• File access sample (Windows 10)
• Folder enumeration sample (Windows 10)
• Simple imaging sample (Windows 10)
• File picker sample (Windows 10)
• File search sample (Windows 10)
• File and folder thumbnail sample (Windows 10)
• Library management sample (Windows 10)
• Background transfer sample
• Background transfer sample (Windows 8.x)
• Content indexer sample
• Serializing and deserializing data sample
• HomeGroup sample
• RSS reader end-to-end (JavaScript) sample