FindFirstFile/FindNextFile finds folder that has been deleted with SHFileOperation

The behavior you're observing is likely due to caching and timing issues. When you use FindFirstFile and FindNextFile to enumerate files and folders, Windows may cache the results for performance reasons. This can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior when files or folders are created, modified, or deleted while the enumeration is ongoing.

In your case, if you're using SHFileOperation to delete a folder, there might be a delay between the deletion operation and the update of the file system information that the FindFirstFile and FindNextFile functions rely on.

To work around this issue, you can consider the following approaches:

1. Delay after Deleting: After using SHFileOperation to delete a folder, you could introduce a brief delay before starting the enumeration with FindFirstFile. This delay can give the system enough time to update the file system information.

   c++Copy code
   // Delete folder using SHFileOperation
   
   
   
   // Wait for a short period (e.g., 500 milliseconds)
   
   Sleep(500);
   
   
   
   // Start enumeration using FindFirstFile
   
   

2. Reinitialize Enumeration: If you notice that the enumeration results are not accurate, you can close the current enumeration handle, wait briefly, and then restart the enumeration. This approach can help ensure that you're working with up-to-date information.

   c++Copy code
   // Delete folder using SHFileOperation
   
   
   
   // Close the enumeration handle (hFind)
   
   FindClose(hFind);
   
   
   
   // Wait for a short period (e.g., 500 milliseconds)
   
   Sleep(500);
   
   
   
   // Start a new enumeration using FindFirstFile
   
   hFind = FindFirstFile(...);
   
   

Remember that introducing delays might impact the performance of your application. It's important to strike a balance between waiting for file system updates and keeping your application responsive.

Additionally, consider using more advanced APIs and techniques for file system monitoring, such as the ReadDirectoryChangesW function or using third-party libraries that provide more comprehensive file system monitoring capabilities. These approaches can provide real-time updates about changes in the file system, avoiding the need for periodic polling.

Keep in mind that working with file system changes and enumeration can be complex due to the asynchronous nature of file operations and potential caching. It's important to thoroughly test your code to ensure it behaves as expected under different scenarios.