title: Windows Forms - VB.NET Check if Network Folder Exists without share access?
body: <p>Is there a way to check if a (UNIX) network folder exists when the user running the Windows Forms application doesn't have access to that folder?</p>
  
  <p>I'm using the following method, but it seems that since I don't have access to that network folder, .NET thinks it doesn't exist, hence the method always returns false:</p>
  
  <pre><code>Private Function DoesUnixDirectoryExist() As Boolean
          Dim bRet As Boolean = False
          Dim dirInfo As New DirectoryInfo("\\unix\dir\here\")
  
          Try
              If dirInfo.Exists Then
                  bRet = True
              End If
          Catch ex As Exception
              MsgBox(ex.Message)
          End Try
  
          Return bRet
      End Function
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Thanks for your help!</p>