File.Create() can't be executed because file is still used by another process

Question

I try to create a file after checking if the directory exists, and if the file exists.

But When my program gets to this line I get the error that I can't create the file because it's already being used by another process. The weird thing is that it shouldn't. Even when the file doesn't exist.

File.Create(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Channels\\" + saveFile).Close()

the error occurs in this part of the code, catch not included. I know that I should have used Using() but This should work too. I don't fancy to redo this part that way untill it works this way.

            if (!System.IO.Directory.Exists(System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Channels"))
            {
                connection.Logger.Log("making " + System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Channels", false, LogMode.Info);
                System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Channels");
            }

            string saveFile = Program.RemoveForbiddenFileCharacters(this.ChannelName + ".Channel");
            string saveFilePath = System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Channels\\" + saveFile;

            FileStream fileStream = null;
            StreamWriter streamWriter = null;
            try
            {
                if (File.Exists(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Channels\\" + saveFile))
                {
                    File.Delete(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Channels\\" + saveFile);
                }

                File.Create(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Channels\\" + saveFile).Close();

                streamWriter = new StreamWriter(System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Channels\\" + saveFile);

                //safe stuff to file
                streamWriter.Close();

            }
            catch (Exception e)

Answer 1

Nothing is wrong with the code you listed here and you need to provide more information for an answer.

I.e., I created a console application that consists of the following c# code and it executes without a problem and creates the file:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace ConsoleApplication2
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            string saveFile = "test.txt";
            try
            {
                if (File.Exists(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Channels\\" + saveFile))
                {
                    File.Delete(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Channels\\" + saveFile);
                }

                File.Create(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Channels\\" + saveFile).Close();

                StreamWriter streamWriter = new StreamWriter(System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Channels\\" + saveFile);

                //safe stuff to file
                streamWriter.Close();

            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {

            }
        }
    }
}

Of course the file name had to be "hard coded" in, but you can see that the code is generally the same and if you copy it into a new console application you will also see that it works.

Answer 2

If you've just deleted the file, then the OS might prevent you from creating it within a few seconds because it's not completely done deleting it yet.

Why don't you just open the file for writing, instead of deleting and recreating it?