dir method stops at 1000 files sometimes

I have been struggling with the dir function lately.

the dir method often stops enumerating the directory at 1000 files. If I query enough times, I will finally get the correct count. see below (copied from matlab command line) where I have called dir two times in a row and get drastically different answers. nothing changed between calls....I called one right after the other. Has anyone had this issue or found a workaround?

This is a network drive I'm reading so that may be part of the issue.

>> sublist = dir([imdir_win '\*.tif*'])

sublist =

1000×1 struct array with fields:

>> sublist = dir([imdir_win '\*.tif*'])

sublist =

7066×1 struct array with fields:

[Image Analyst]

I don't know. Weird. I don't think it should make a difference but what if you use fullfile?

sublist = dir(fullfile(imdir_win, '*.tif*'))

[Walter Roberson]

Unfortunately the fact that it is a network drive has everything to do with it.