GetFileAttributesEx function

Retrieves attributes for a specified file or directory.

To perform this operation as a transacted operation, use the GetFileAttributesTransacted function.

Syntax

BOOL WINAPI GetFileAttributesEx(
  _In_  LPCTSTR                lpFileName,
  _In_  GET_FILEEX_INFO_LEVELS fInfoLevelId,
  _Out_ LPVOID                 lpFileInformation
);

Parameters

lpFileName [in]

The name of the file or directory.

In the ANSI version of this function, the name is limited to MAX_PATH characters. To extend this limit to 32,767 wide characters, call the Unicode version of the function (GetFileAttributesExW), and prepend "\\?\" to the path. For more information, see Naming a File.

Tip  Starting in Windows 10, version 1607, for the unicode version of this function (GetFileAttributesExW), you can opt-in to remove the MAX_PATH character limitation without prepending "\\?\". See the "Maximum Path Limitation" section of Naming Files, Paths, and Namespaces for details.

 

fInfoLevelId [in]

A class of attribute information to retrieve.

This parameter can be the following value from the GET_FILEEX_INFO_LEVELS enumeration.

Value	Meaning
GetFileExInfoStandard	The lpFileInformation parameter is a WIN32_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DATA structure.

 

lpFileInformation [out]

A pointer to a buffer that receives the attribute information.

The type of attribute information that is stored into this buffer is determined by the value of fInfoLevelId.

Return value

If the function succeeds, the return value is a nonzero value.

If the function fails, the return value is zero (0). To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks

The GetFileAttributes function retrieves file system attribute information. GetFileAttributesEx can obtain other sets of file or directory attribute information. Currently, GetFileAttributesEx retrieves a set of standard attributes that is a superset of the file system attribute information.

When the GetFileAttributesEx function is called on a directory that is a mounted folder, it returns the attributes of the directory, not those of the root directory in the volume that the mounted folder associates with the directory. To obtain the attributes of the associated volume, call GetVolumeNameForVolumeMountPoint to obtain the name of the associated volume. Then use the resulting name in a call to GetFileAttributesEx. The results are the attributes of the root directory on the associated volume.

In Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, this function is supported by the following technologies.

Symbolic link behavior—If the path points to a symbolic link, the function returns attributes for the symbolic link.

Transacted Operations

If a file is open for modification in a transaction, no other thread can open the file for modification until the transaction is committed. So if a transacted thread opens the file first, any subsequent threads that try modifying the file before the transaction is committed receives a sharing violation. If a non-transacted thread modifies the file before the transacted thread does, and the file is still open when the transaction attempts to open it, the transaction receives the error ERROR_TRANSACTIONAL_CONFLICT.

Requirements

See also

File Attribute Constants

File Management Functions

GetFileAttributes

GetFileAttributesTransacted

SetFileAttributes

Symbolic Links