>actually didn't get a chance to run the statistics, I didn't have time so just tried it live and it went MUCH faster, before that routine was taking around 10mins, now it's taking aboutn 10secs, huge difference. Thanks again for all your help.

Then what Tore said is probably the closest. Sys(2000) is just a wrapper for FindFile() (and sys(2000, ,1) is for FindNextFile() API call (forgot actual names, they can be found), but then so are all other ways for manipulating the file system. The File() function is obviously trying to be too smart, which makes it too slow for mass use. Sys(2000), OTOH, seems to be going straight for the system function - and at least as old as DOS 3.x function at that, i.e. one that didn't change much over the last twenty years. That's got to be fast.

Easy for me to be smart now that you got the results :).