VBA macro that search for file in multiple subfolders

The Problem (Q-score 2, ranked #194th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2013

I have macro, if I put in cell E1 name of the file, macro search trough C:UsersMarekDesktopMakro directory, find it and put the needed values in specific cells of my original file with macro.

Is it possible to make this work without specific folder location? I need something that can search trough C:UsersMarekDesktopMakro with many subfolders in it.

My code is

    Sub Zila1()
Dim SaveDriveDir As String, MyPath As String
Dim FName As Variant
Dim YrMth As String


SaveDriveDir = CurDir
MyPath = Application.DefaultFilePath    'or use "C:Data"
ChDrive MyPath
ChDir MyPath
FName = Sheets("Sheet1").Range("E1").Text



If FName = False Then
    'do nothing
Else
    GetData "C:UsersMarekDesktopMakro" & FName & ".xls", "Vystupna_kontrola", _
        "A16:A17", Sheets("Sheet1").Range("B2:B3"), True, False

        GetData "C:UsersMarekDesktopMakro" & FName & ".xls", "Vystupna_kontrola", _
        "AE23:AE24", Sheets("Sheet1").Range("B3:B4"), True, False

        GetData "C:UsersMarekDesktopMakro" & FName & ".xls", "Vystupna_kontrola", _
        "AE26:AE27", Sheets("Sheet1").Range("B4:B5"), True, False

        GetData "C:UsersMarekDesktopMakro" & FName & ".xls", "Vystupna_kontrola", _
        "AQ59:AQ60", Sheets("Sheet1").Range("B5:B6"), True, False

        GetData "C:UsersMarekDesktopMakro" & FName & ".xls", "Vystupna_kontrola", _
        "AR65:AR66", Sheets("Sheet1").Range("B6:B7"), True, False






        End If

ChDrive SaveDriveDir
ChDir SaveDriveDir

End Sub

Why this Range / Worksheet targeting trips people up

The question centers on reaching a specific cell, range, or workbook object. In Excel VBA, this is the #1 source of failures after activation events: every property (.Value, .Formula, .Address) behaves differently depending on whether the parent Workbook is explicit or implicit.

The Verified Solution — solid answer (above median) (+12)

26-line Excel VBA pattern (copy-ready)

Just for fun, here’s a sample with a recursive function which (I hope) should be a bit simpler to understand and to use with your code:

Function Recurse(sPath As String) As String

    Dim FSO As New FileSystemObject
    Dim myFolder As Folder
    Dim mySubFolder As Folder

    Set myFolder = FSO.GetFolder(sPath)
    For Each mySubFolder In myFolder.SubFolders
        Call TestSub(mySubFolder.Path)
        Recurse = Recurse(mySubFolder.Path)
    Next

End Function

Sub TestR()

    Call Recurse("D:Projets")

End Sub

Sub TestSub(ByVal s As String)

    Debug.Print s

End Sub

Edit: Here’s how you can implement this code in your workbook to achieve your objective.

Sub TestSub(ByVal s As String)

    Dim FSO As New FileSystemObject
    Dim myFolder As Folder
    Dim myFile As File

    Set myFolder = FSO.GetFolder(s)
    For Each myFile In myFolder.Files
        If myFile.Name = Range("E1").Value Then
            Debug.Print myFile.Name 'Or do whatever you want with the file
        End If
    Next

End Sub

Here, I just debug the name of the found file, the rest is up to you. 😉

Of course, some would say it’s a bit clumsy to call twice the FileSystemObject so you could simply write your code like this (depends on wether you want to compartmentalize or not):

Function Recurse(sPath As String) As String

    Dim FSO As New FileSystemObject
    Dim myFolder As Folder
    Dim mySubFolder As Folder
    Dim myFile As File

    Set myFolder = FSO.GetFolder(sPath)

    For Each mySubFolder In myFolder.SubFolders
        For Each myFile In mySubFolder.Files
            If myFile.Name = Range("E1").Value Then
                Debug.Print myFile.Name & " in " & myFile.Path 'Or do whatever you want with the file
                Exit For
            End If
        Next
        Recurse = Recurse(mySubFolder.Path)
    Next

End Function

Sub TestR()

    Call Recurse("D:Projets")

End Sub

Loop-performance notes specific to this pattern

The loop in the answer iterates in process. On a 2026 Office build, setting Application.ScreenUpdating = False and Application.Calculation = xlCalculationManual around a loop of this size typically cuts runtime by 40–70%. Re-enable both in the Exit handler.

When to Use It — classic (2013–2016)

Ranked #194th in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 96% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.

What changed between 2013 and 2026

The answer is 13 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.