diff --git a/src/client/common/platform/errors.ts b/src/client/common/platform/errors.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..777d02b7430b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/client/common/platform/errors.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+// Licensed under the MIT License.
+
+'use strict';
+
+import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+
+/*
+See:
+  + https://nodejs.org/api/errors.html
+  + https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Error
+  + node_modules/@types/node/globals.d.ts
+ */
+
+interface IError {
+    name: string;
+    message: string;
+
+    toString(): string;
+}
+
+interface INodeJSError extends IError {
+    code: string;
+    stack?: string;
+    stackTraceLimit: number;
+
+    captureStackTrace(): void;
+}
+
+//================================
+// "system" errors
+
+namespace vscErrors {
+    const FILE_NOT_FOUND = vscode.FileSystemError.FileNotFound().name;
+    const FILE_EXISTS = vscode.FileSystemError.FileExists().name;
+    const IS_DIR = vscode.FileSystemError.FileIsADirectory().name;
+    const NOT_DIR = vscode.FileSystemError.FileNotADirectory().name;
+    const NO_PERM = vscode.FileSystemError.NoPermissions().name;
+    // prettier-ignore
+    const known = [
+        FILE_NOT_FOUND,
+        FILE_EXISTS,
+        IS_DIR,
+        NOT_DIR,
+        NO_PERM
+    ];
+    function errorMatches(err: Error, expectedName: string): boolean | undefined {
+        if (!known.includes(err.name)) {
+            return undefined;
+        }
+        return err.name === expectedName;
+    }
+
+    export function isFileNotFound(err: Error): boolean | undefined {
+        return errorMatches(err, FILE_NOT_FOUND);
+    }
+    export function isFileExists(err: Error): boolean | undefined {
+        return errorMatches(err, FILE_EXISTS);
+    }
+    export function isFileIsDir(err: Error): boolean | undefined {
+        return errorMatches(err, IS_DIR);
+    }
+    export function isNotDir(err: Error): boolean | undefined {
+        return errorMatches(err, NOT_DIR);
+    }
+    export function isNoPermissions(err: Error): boolean | undefined {
+        return errorMatches(err, NO_PERM);
+    }
+}
+
+interface ISystemError extends INodeJSError {
+    errno: number;
+    syscall: string;
+    info?: string;
+    path?: string;
+    address?: string;
+    dest?: string;
+    port?: string;
+}
+
+function isSystemError(err: Error, expectedCode: string): boolean | undefined {
+    const code = (err as ISystemError).code;
+    if (!code) {
+        return undefined;
+    }
+    return code === expectedCode;
+}
+
+// Return true if the given error is ENOENT.
+export function isFileNotFoundError(err: Error): boolean | undefined {
+    const matched = vscErrors.isFileNotFound(err);
+    if (matched !== undefined) {
+        return matched;
+    }
+    return isSystemError(err, 'ENOENT');
+}
+
+// Return true if the given error is EEXIST.
+export function isFileExistsError(err: Error): boolean | undefined {
+    const matched = vscErrors.isFileExists(err);
+    if (matched !== undefined) {
+        return matched;
+    }
+    return isSystemError(err, 'EEXIST');
+}
+
+// Return true if the given error is EISDIR.
+export function isFileIsDirError(err: Error): boolean | undefined {
+    const matched = vscErrors.isFileIsDir(err);
+    if (matched !== undefined) {
+        return matched;
+    }
+    return isSystemError(err, 'EISDIR');
+}
+
+// Return true if the given error is ENOTDIR.
+export function isNotDirError(err: Error): boolean | undefined {
+    const matched = vscErrors.isNotDir(err);
+    if (matched !== undefined) {
+        return matched;
+    }
+    return isSystemError(err, 'ENOTDIR');
+}
+
+// Return true if the given error is EACCES.
+export function isNoPermissionsError(err: Error): boolean | undefined {
+    const matched = vscErrors.isNoPermissions(err);
+    if (matched !== undefined) {
+        return matched;
+    }
+    return isSystemError(err, 'EACCES');
+}
diff --git a/src/test/common/platform/errors.unit.test.ts b/src/test/common/platform/errors.unit.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..dc026739a494
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/common/platform/errors.unit.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+// Licensed under the MIT License.
+
+// tslint:disable:max-func-body-length
+
+import { expect } from 'chai';
+import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+// prettier-ignore
+import {
+    isFileExistsError, isFileIsDirError, isFileNotFoundError,
+    isNoPermissionsError, isNotDirError
+} from '../../../client/common/platform/errors';
+import { SystemError } from './utils';
+
+suite('FileSystem - errors', () => {
+    const filename = 'spam';
+
+    suite('isFileNotFoundError', () => {
+        const tests: [Error, boolean | undefined][] = [
+            [vscode.FileSystemError.FileNotFound(filename), true],
+            [vscode.FileSystemError.FileExists(filename), false],
+            [new SystemError('ENOENT', 'stat', '<msg>'), true],
+            [new SystemError('EEXIST', '???', '<msg>'), false],
+            [new Error(filename), undefined]
+        ];
+        tests.map(([err, expected]) => {
+            test(`${err} -> ${expected}`, () => {
+                const matches = isFileNotFoundError(err);
+
+                expect(matches).to.equal(expected);
+            });
+        });
+    });
+
+    suite('isFileExistsError', () => {
+        const tests: [Error, boolean | undefined][] = [
+            [vscode.FileSystemError.FileExists(filename), true],
+            [vscode.FileSystemError.FileNotFound(filename), false],
+            [new SystemError('EEXIST', '???', '<msg>'), true],
+            [new SystemError('ENOENT', 'stat', '<msg>'), false],
+            [new Error(filename), undefined]
+        ];
+        tests.map(([err, expected]) => {
+            test(`${err} -> ${expected}`, () => {
+                const matches = isFileExistsError(err);
+
+                expect(matches).to.equal(expected);
+            });
+        });
+    });
+
+    suite('isFileIsDirError', () => {
+        const tests: [Error, boolean | undefined][] = [
+            [vscode.FileSystemError.FileIsADirectory(filename), true],
+            [vscode.FileSystemError.FileNotFound(filename), false],
+            [new SystemError('EISDIR', '???', '<msg>'), true],
+            [new SystemError('ENOENT', 'stat', '<msg>'), false],
+            [new Error(filename), undefined]
+        ];
+        tests.map(([err, expected]) => {
+            test(`${err} -> ${expected}`, () => {
+                const matches = isFileIsDirError(err);
+
+                expect(matches).to.equal(expected);
+            });
+        });
+    });
+
+    suite('isNotDirError', () => {
+        const tests: [Error, boolean | undefined][] = [
+            [vscode.FileSystemError.FileNotADirectory(filename), true],
+            [vscode.FileSystemError.FileNotFound(filename), false],
+            [new SystemError('ENOTDIR', '???', '<msg>'), true],
+            [new SystemError('ENOENT', 'stat', '<msg>'), false],
+            [new Error(filename), undefined]
+        ];
+        tests.map(([err, expected]) => {
+            test(`${err} -> ${expected}`, () => {
+                const matches = isNotDirError(err);
+
+                expect(matches).to.equal(expected);
+            });
+        });
+    });
+
+    suite('isNoPermissionsError', () => {
+        const tests: [Error, boolean | undefined][] = [
+            [vscode.FileSystemError.NoPermissions(filename), true],
+            [vscode.FileSystemError.FileNotFound(filename), false],
+            [new SystemError('EACCES', '???', '<msg>'), true],
+            [new SystemError('ENOENT', 'stat', '<msg>'), false],
+            [new Error(filename), undefined]
+        ];
+        tests.map(([err, expected]) => {
+            test(`${err} -> ${expected}`, () => {
+                const matches = isNoPermissionsError(err);
+
+                expect(matches).to.equal(expected);
+            });
+        });
+    });
+});
diff --git a/src/test/common/platform/utils.ts b/src/test/common/platform/utils.ts
index 990fbe1e8598..ea614f9e2f53 100644
--- a/src/test/common/platform/utils.ts
+++ b/src/test/common/platform/utils.ts
@@ -52,6 +52,23 @@ export function fixPath(filename: string): string {
     return path.normalize(filename);
 }
 
+export class SystemError extends Error {
+    public code: string;
+    public errno: number;
+    public syscall: string;
+    public info?: string;
+    public path?: string;
+    public address?: string;
+    public dest?: string;
+    public port?: string;
+    constructor(code: string, syscall: string, message: string) {
+        super(`${code}: ${message} ${syscall} '...'`);
+        this.code = code;
+        this.errno = 0; // Don't bother until we actually need it.
+        this.syscall = syscall;
+    }
+}
+
 export class CleanupFixture {
     private cleanups: (() => void | Promise<void>)[];
     constructor() {
diff --git a/src/test/vscode-mock.ts b/src/test/vscode-mock.ts
index ca059c27d42c..f3105a9bd1fd 100644
--- a/src/test/vscode-mock.ts
+++ b/src/test/vscode-mock.ts
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ mockedVSCode.DebugAdapterExecutable = vscodeMocks.vscMock.DebugAdapterExecutable
 mockedVSCode.DebugAdapterServer = vscodeMocks.vscMock.DebugAdapterServer;
 mockedVSCode.QuickInputButtons = vscodeMocks.vscMockExtHostedTypes.QuickInputButtons;
 mockedVSCode.FileType = vscodeMocks.vscMock.FileType;
+mockedVSCode.FileSystemError = vscodeMocks.vscMockExtHostedTypes.FileSystemError;
 
 // This API is used in src/client/telemetry/telemetry.ts
 const extensions = TypeMoq.Mock.ofType<typeof vscode.extensions>();