C# Why does System.IO.File.Exists keep coming up false?

Question

string profile = "\\" + txtProfileLoad.Text + ".txt";
profile = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.MyDocuments) + profile;

The variable profile is receiving the correct file path, but when I run it the File.Exists comes up false every time.

        if (System.IO.File.Exists(profile) == true)
        {
            System.IO.StreamReader profileReader;
            profileReader = new System.IO.StreamReader(profile);

            do
            {
                profileLevel = profileLevel + profileReader.ReadLine() + "\r\n";
            } while (profileReader.Peek() != -1);

            loadName(profileLevel);

            wordBeingUsed.finalWord = loadedName;

            Close();
        }
        else
        {
            MessageBox.Show("Invalid file name. Please try again.");
        }

There aren't any permissions stopping it from seeing the file. Any help with this would be appreciated. It's been driving me crazy.

Answer 1

Is this a pre-existing file that you are trying to read? Or is this a new file that you are hoping to create? What is the value inside txtProfileLoad.Text, issue most likely is within this property.

Run a sanity check:

var profile = "mytestfile.txt";
var myFile = Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.MyDocuments), profile);
File.WriteAllText(myFile, "Testing file write");

if (File.Exists(myFile))
{
  // Access works.
}
else
{
  //Didn't work
}

If above code works, then it is most likely that the name you create from txtProfileLoad.Text is different from actual file on the drive. On the other hand, if this is a file that doesn't exist yet; then of course it would return false when you check Exists.