JosefNemec/Playnite · error · DirectoryNotFoundException

Source directory does not exist or could not be found: {sour

Error message

Source directory does not exist or could not be found: {sourceDirName}

What it means

Thrown by FileSystem.CopyDirectory when the DirectoryInfo constructed from sourceDirName does not exist on disk. It is a DirectoryNotFoundException with the offending path embedded, surfaced before any files are copied.

Source

Thrown at source/Playnite/Common/FileSystem.cs:447

        {
            // Whitespace characters can cause confusion in methods, causing them to process
            // the parent directory instead and causing an infinite loop
            if (childDirectory.Name.IsNullOrWhiteSpace())
            {
                return false;
            }

            return true;
        }

        public static void CopyDirectory(string sourceDirName, string destDirName, bool copySubDirs = true, bool overwrite = true)
        {
            sourceDirName = Paths.FixPathLength(sourceDirName);
            destDirName = Paths.FixPathLength(destDirName);
            var dir = new DirectoryInfo(sourceDirName);
            if (!dir.Exists)
            {
                throw new DirectoryNotFoundException(
                    "Source directory does not exist or could not be found: "
                    + sourceDirName);
            }

            var dirs = dir.GetDirectories();
            if (!Directory.Exists(destDirName))
            {
                Directory.CreateDirectory(destDirName);
            }

            var files = dir.GetFiles();
            foreach (FileInfo file in files)
            {
                string temppath = Path.Combine(destDirName, file.Name);
                file.CopyTo(temppath, overwrite);
            }

            if (copySubDirs)

View on GitHub (pinned to 5911f4e964)

Solutions

1. Verify Directory.Exists(sourceDirName) before calling CopyDirectory.
2. Check that the drive hosting the source is mounted and the path casing is correct.
3. For network paths, confirm the share is online and credentials are cached.
4. Log the exact source path to pinpoint typos or stale configuration.

Example fix

// before
FileSystem.CopyDirectory(src, dest);

// after — guard and report the missing source
if (!Directory.Exists(src))
{
    logger.Warn($"Copy source missing, skipping: {src}");
    return;
}
FileSystem.CopyDirectory(src, dest);

if (!Directory.Exists(sourceDirName)) throw new DirectoryNotFoundException(sourceDirName);

try { FileSystem.CopyDirectory(src, dest); }
catch (DirectoryNotFoundException ex) { logger.Warn(ex.Message); /* skip missing source */ }

When it happens

Trigger: Calling CopyDirectory with a source that was never created, was moved/deleted, lives on an unmounted drive, or whose path is mistyped; a UNC/network source that is currently unreachable; a source path that exceeds MAX_PATH after FixPathLength.

Common situations: Migrating or backing up a library whose install folder was removed by the platform (Steam/Epic uninstall); copying from a disconnected external drive; wrong casing/typo in a configured backup source path.

Related errors

• Root directory is not set or does not exist.
• Cannot add file to database, file not found.
• Backup output path not specified!
• No URL was given.
• Failed to read {path}

AI-assisted analysis of JosefNemec/Playnite@5911f4e964 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b99ce72abce30b96. Report an issue: GitHub.