: Click Start, type cmd , and select Run as Administrator . Run the mklink command : Use the following syntax: For Files : mklink "LinkPath" "TargetPath" For Directories : mklink /D "LinkPath" "TargetPath"
A few omit that PowerShell can create symlinks using New-Item -ItemType SymbolicLink -Path "Link" -Target "Target" .
and pressed Enter.
: Alex used the mklink command to create a symbolic link. The syntax for creating a symbolic link is: how to create a symbolic link windows
: New-Item -Path "C:\DocsLink" -ItemType SymbolicLink -Value "D:\ActualDocs" 3. Using Graphical User Interface (GUI) Tools
: Alex pressed the Windows key + X and selected "Command Prompt (Admin)" to open the Command Prompt with administrative privileges.
The mklink command is the standard way to create links. You must run Command Prompt as an . For Files : mklink "LinkPath" "TargetPath" For Directories : mklink /D "LinkPath" "TargetPath" Example : mklink /D "C:\MyLink" "D:\RealFolder" 2. Using PowerShell : Click Start, type cmd , and select Run as Administrator
Good tutorials point out that Windows Explorer does not support creating symlinks natively, so using Command Prompt or PowerShell is necessary.
Example : mklink /D "C:\MyLink" "D:\ActualFolder" creates a virtual folder on your C: drive that points to the folder on D:. Method 2: PowerShell
Once upon a time, in a bustling tech city, there lived a young developer named Alex. Alex had a large project folder, C:\Projects\MyApp , which contained all the files and subfolders for a new application. The project folder was located on a slow hard drive, but Alex needed to access one of the subfolders, C:\Projects\MyApp\Assets , frequently. : Alex used the mklink command to create a symbolic link
-Target parameter is used to define where the link points. Key Differences: Symlink vs. Shortcut vs. Junction Feature Symbolic Link (Soft) Directory Junction Windows Shortcut (.lnk) Level File System (NTFS) File System (NTFS) Application/Shell level Target Type File or Folder Folder only Any file, folder, or URL Transparency High: Apps see the target High: Apps see the target Low: Apps see the .lnk file Remote Support Supports UNC paths Local drives only Supports network paths Permissions Requires Admin or Dev Mode Standard user access Standard user access Practical Use Cases Cloud Syncing: You can trick services like Dropbox or Google Drive into syncing folders from other drives by placing a symlink inside the main sync folder. Redirecting Storage: Move large application data or game folders to a secondary drive while keeping the application convinced they are still in
Most guides correctly explain the mklink command in Command Prompt (run as administrator):