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File Management
 GetFileSize Function
GetFileSize Function

Retrieves the size of the specified file, in bytes.

It is recommended that you use GetFileSizeEx.

Syntax

DWORD WINAPI GetFileSize(
  __in       HANDLE hFile,
  __out_opt  LPDWORD lpFileSizeHigh
);

Parameters

hFile [in]

A handle to the file.

lpFileSizeHigh [out, optional]

A pointer to the variable where the high-order doubleword of the file size is returned. This parameter can be NULL if the application does not require the high-order doubleword.

Return Value

If the function succeeds, the return value is the low-order doubleword of the file size, and, if lpFileSizeHigh is non-NULL, the function puts the high-order doubleword of the file size into the variable pointed to by that parameter.

If the function fails and lpFileSizeHigh is NULL, the return value is INVALID_FILE_SIZE. To get extended error information, call GetLastError. When lpFileSizeHigh is NULL, the results returned for large files are ambiguous, and you will not be able to determine the actual size of the file. It is recommended that you use GetFileSizeEx instead.

If the function fails and lpFileSizeHigh is non-NULL, the return value is INVALID_FILE_SIZE and GetLastError will return a value other than NO_ERROR.

Remarks

You cannot use the GetFileSize function with a handle of a nonseeking device such as a pipe or a communications device. To determine the file type for hFile, use the GetFileType function.

The GetFileSize function retrieves the uncompressed size of a file. Use the GetCompressedFileSize function to obtain the compressed size of a file.

Note that if the return value is INVALID_FILE_SIZE (0xffffffff), an application must call GetLastError to determine whether the function has succeeded or failed. The reason the function may appear to fail when it has not is that lpFileSizeHigh could be non-NULL or the file size could be 0xffffffff. In this case, GetLastError will return NO_ERROR (0) upon success. Because of this behavior, it is recommended that you use GetFileSizeEx instead.

Transacted Operations:  If there is a transaction bound to the file handle, then the function returns information for the isolated file view.

Example Code

For an example, see Creating a View Within a File.

Requirements

Client Requires Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows 2000 Professional.
Server Requires Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, or Windows 2000 Server.
Header

Declared in WinBase.h; include Windows.h.

Library

Use Kernel32.lib.

DLL

Requires Kernel32.dll.

See Also

File Management Functions
GetCompressedFileSize
GetFileSizeEx
GetFileType


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Build date: 6/19/2008

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If all you want to do is get a file's size...      Jack Mathews   |   Edit   |  
Then use FindFirstFile to do that. Over a network share, CreateFile then GetFileSize is dozens of times slower than just using FindFirstFile to get at the size.
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