1. A method for execution by a computer to access a file in a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method comprises: receiving a read request to read data; retrieving, in response to the read request, at least a minimum number of root directory slices from the DSN, wherein a root directory was encoded using an information dispersal algorithm to produce a plurality of root directory slices that is stored in the DSN and wherein the minimum number of root directory slices is less than the plurality of root directory slices; applying the information dispersal algorithm on at least the minimum number of root directory slices to reconstruct the root directory; identifying one or more intervening directories including a home directory of the data, from the reconstructed root directory based on the read request; retrieving a minimum number of intervening directory slices from the one or more intervening directories from the DSN, wherein the one or more intervening directories was encoded using the information dispersal algorithm to produce a plurality of intervening directory slices that is stored in the DSN and wherein the minimum number of intervening directory slices is less than the plurality of intervening directory slices; applying the information dispersal algorithm on the minimum number of intervening directory slices to reconstruct the one or more intervening directories; identifying the home directory from the reconstructed one or more intervening directories; identifying file object metadata from the home directory, wherein the file object metadata identifies data slices and wherein the data is encoded using the information dispersal algorithm to produce the data slices; issuing commands to retrieve at least a minimum number of data slices to reconstruct the data; and when at least the minimum number of data slices have been received, applying the information dispersal algorithm on at least the minimum number of data slices to reconstruct the data.