HandyOrg/HandyControl · error · ArgumentException

No file exists at

Error message

No file exists at "{0}"

What it means

Verify.FileExists validates that a string parameter points to an existing file. It first requires a non-null, non-empty string, then calls File.Exists; when no file exists at the path it throws ArgumentException with the formatted path in the message.

Solutions

1. Check File.Exists(path) (with Path.GetFullPath) before calling
2. Resolve relative paths against AppContext.BaseDirectory or a known base directory
3. Verify the file is deployed/present at the expected absolute path

Example fix

// before
api.Load("config.xml"); // relative to CWD — often wrong
// after
string path = Path.Combine(AppContext.BaseDirectory, "config.xml");
if (!File.Exists(path)) throw new FileNotFoundException("Missing config", path);
api.Load(path);

string fullPath = Path.GetFullPath(path);
if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(fullPath)) throw new ArgumentException("Path required", nameof(path));
if (!File.Exists(fullPath)) throw new FileNotFoundException("File missing", fullPath);

try { api.Load(path); } catch (ArgumentException ex) when (ex.Message.StartsWith("No file exists at")) { /* restore/ship the missing file or prompt user */ }

When it happens

Trigger: Passing a path to an API backed by Verify.FileExists where the file does not exist — wrong relative path (relative to process working directory, not the app), deleted file, wrong drive/extension, or an empty string.

Common situations: Working-directory mismatches between dev and production environments, missing deployment files, typos in file names, passing a directory path instead of a file path.

Understand the failure class

Background: "File not found" and ENOENT errors: why libraries can't find a file that should exist — this error's family across 50 libraries.

Related errors

• The streams can't be read for comparison
• The parameter can not be either null or empty.
• The parameter can not be either null or empty or consist…
• The parameter must not be the default value.
• The parameter must be null.

AI-assisted analysis of HandyOrg/HandyControl@2c0875ebd6 (2026-09-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/43a4db20ea292a06. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/Shared/Microsoft.Windows.Shell/Standard/Verify.cs:217

    [SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Performance", "CA1811:AvoidUncalledPrivateCode")]
    public static void TypeSupportsInterface(Type type, Type interfaceType, string parameterName)
    {
        Verify.IsNotNull<Type>(type, "type");
        Verify.IsNotNull<Type>(interfaceType, "interfaceType");
        if (type.GetInterface(interfaceType.Name) == null)
        {
            throw new ArgumentException("The type of this parameter does not support a required interface", parameterName);
        }
    }

    [SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Performance", "CA1811:AvoidUncalledPrivateCode")]
    [DebuggerStepThrough]
    public static void FileExists(string filePath, string parameterName)
    {
        Verify.IsNeitherNullNorEmpty(filePath, parameterName);
        if (!File.Exists(filePath))
        {
            throw new ArgumentException(string.Format(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, "No file exists at \"{0}\"", new object[]
            {
                filePath
            }), parameterName);
        }
    }

    [SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Performance", "CA1811:AvoidUncalledPrivateCode")]
    [DebuggerStepThrough]
    internal static void ImplementsInterface(object parameter, Type interfaceType, string parameterName)
    {
        bool flag = false;
        foreach (Type left in parameter.GetType().GetInterfaces())
        {
            if (left == interfaceType)
            {
                flag = true;
                break;
            }

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