docs-desktop/dotnet-desktop-guide/framework/winforms/controls/how-to-choose-folders-with-the-windows-forms-folderbrowserdialog-component.md

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Choose Folders with FolderBrowserDialog Component	Learn how to use the Windows Forms FolderBrowserDialog component within Windows applications you create to prompt users to select a folder.	03/30/2017	csharp vb cpp	directories [Windows Forms], choosing FolderBrowserDialog component [Windows Forms], choosing directories folders [Windows Forms], selecting folders [Windows Forms], choosing directories [Windows Forms], selecting	4593670e-7c7d-4661-b46b-4ffb63258adb

How to: Choose Folders with the Windows Forms FolderBrowserDialog Component

Often, within Windows applications you create, you will have to prompt users to select a folder, most frequently to save a set of files. The Windows Forms xref:System.Windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog component allows you to easily accomplish this task.

To choose folders with the FolderBrowserDialog component

1. In a procedure, check the xref:System.Windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog component's xref:System.Windows.Forms.Form.DialogResult%2A property to see how the dialog box was closed and get the value of the xref:System.Windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog component's xref:System.Windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog.SelectedPath%2A property.

2. If you need to set the top-most folder that will appear within the tree view of the dialog box, set the xref:System.Windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog.RootFolder%2A property, which takes a member of the xref:System.Environment.SpecialFolder enumeration.

3. Additionally, you can set the xref:System.Windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog.Description%2A property, which specifies the text string that appears at the top of the folder-browser tree view.

   In the example below, the xref:System.Windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog component is used to select a folder, similar to when you create a project in Visual Studio and are prompted to select a folder to save it in. In this example, the folder name is then displayed in a xref:System.Windows.Forms.TextBox control on the form. It is a good idea to place the location in an editable area, such as a xref:System.Windows.Forms.TextBox control, so that users may edit their selection in case of error or other issues. This example assumes a form with a xref:System.Windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog component and a xref:System.Windows.Forms.TextBox control.

   Public Sub ChooseFolder()
       If FolderBrowserDialog1.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK Then
           TextBox1.Text = FolderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath
       End If
   End Sub
   

   public void ChooseFolder()
   {
       if (folderBrowserDialog1.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
       {
           textBox1.Text = folderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath;
       }
   }
   

   public:
      void ChooseFolder()
      {
         if (folderBrowserDialog1->ShowDialog() == DialogResult::OK)
         {
            textBox1->Text = folderBrowserDialog1->SelectedPath;
         }
      }
   

   Important

   To use this class, your assembly requires a privilege level granted by the xref:System.Security.Permissions.FileIOPermissionAttribute.PathDiscovery%2A property, which is part of the xref:System.Security.Permissions.FileIOPermissionAccess enumeration. If you are running in a partial-trust context, the process might throw an exception because of insufficient privileges. For more information, see Code Access Security Basics.

For information on how to save files, see How to: Save Files Using the SaveFileDialog Component.

See also

• xref:System.Windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog
• FolderBrowserDialog Component Overview (Windows Forms)
• FolderBrowserDialog Component