Get a specific directory level

There is no built-in way to do what you want. The following code should do the trick:

    public static string GetFolderByLevel(this string path, string baseFolderName, int level)
    {
        if (path == null)
            throw new ArgumentNullException("path");

        if (baseFolderName == null)
            throw new ArgumentNullException("baseFolderName");

        var pathWithoutFile = Path.GetDirectoryName(path);

        var folders = pathWithoutFile.ToString().Split(Path.DirectorySeparatorChar);
        int baseFolderLevel = -1;

        for (int i = 0; i < folders.Length; ++i)
        {
            if (string.Compare(folders[i], baseFolderName, true) == 0)
            {
                baseFolderLevel = i;
                break;
            }
        }

        if (baseFolderLevel == -1)
            throw new ArgumentException(string.Format("Folder '{0}' could not be found in specified path: {1}", baseFolderName, path), "baseFolderName");

        int index = baseFolderLevel + level;

        if (-1 < index && index < folders.Length)
        {
            return folders[index];
        }
        else
            throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(string.Format("Specified level is out of range."));
    }

      

        
        
        
      

    

Now you can use it like:

string path = @"C:\Users\dynamic user\Desktop\History\Peter\record.xls";

path.GetFolderByLevel("Desktop", -2); //returns "Users"
path.GetFolderByLevel("History", 0); //returns "History"
path.GetFolderByLevel("Desktop", 1); //returns "History"

      

        
        
        
      

    

In your case, if I am not mistaken, you are looking for path.GetFolderByLevel("Desktop", 1);

UPDATE . I modified the previous solution so that you can specify the base folder with a partial or full path:

public static string GetFolderByLevel(this string path, string baseFolderPath, int level)
{
    if (path == null)
        throw new ArgumentNullException("path");

    if (baseFolderPath == null)
        throw new ArgumentNullException("baseFolderName");

    var pathFolders = path.Split(new char[] {Path.DirectorySeparatorChar}, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries);
    var basePathFolders = baseFolderPath.Split(new char[] { Path.DirectorySeparatorChar }, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries);

    int baseFolderIndex = -1;
    int folderCounter = 0;

    for (int i = 0; i < pathFolders.Length; ++i)
    {
        if (string.Compare(pathFolders[i], basePathFolders[folderCounter], true) == 0)
        {
            if (++folderCounter == basePathFolders.Length)
            {
                baseFolderIndex = i;
                break;
            }
        }
        else
        {
            folderCounter = 0;
        }
    }

    if (baseFolderIndex < 0)
       throw new ArgumentException(string.Format("Folder '{0}' could not be found in specified path: {1}", baseFolderPath, path), "baseFolderName");

    int index = baseFolderIndex + level;

    if (-1 < index && index < pathFolders.Length)
    {
        return pathFolders[index];
    }
    else
        throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(string.Format("Specified level is out of range."));
}

      

        
        
        
      

    

Now you can use it like: path.GetFolderByLevel(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.DesktopDirectory), 1);

An additional benefit can be that there are subfolders with the same name, you can provide a unique partial path to the base folder to make sure the method picks the correct one.