The Complete Guide to Creating Symbolic Links (aka Symlinks) on Windows

Symbolic links, or symlinks, are one of the most underrated tools in the Windows power user’s toolkit. They let you create virtual pointers to files or folders—useful for everything from managing disk space to syncing files across platforms like OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly what symlinks are, why they matter, and how to create them on Windows step-by-step.

What Is a Symbolic Link?

A symbolic link is like a shortcut—but smarter. Instead of just pointing to a file, it acts like the file or folder itself. That means programs, scripts, and the system can interact with it as if it’s the real thing.

There are two types:

• File symlink: Points to a file.
• Directory symlink (junction): Points to a folder.

Why Use Symlinks?

Here’s why symlinks are useful:

• Reorganize folders without breaking paths.
• Redirect game saves or config files to cloud storage.
• Develop across multiple environments with shared resources.
• Avoid duplicating data while keeping flexible file structures.

How to Create Symlinks on Windows

🔧 Requirements:

• Windows Vista or later.
• Administrator privileges (unless Developer Mode is enabled on Windows 10+).

🛠️ Method 1: Using mklink in Command Prompt

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
   • Hit Start → type cmd → right-click → Run as administrator.
2. Syntax for mklink: mklink [options] <Link> <Target>
   • File Symlink: mklink link.txt target.txt
   • Directory Symlink: mklink /D "C:\LinkFolder" "D:\TargetFolder"
   • Hard Link (file only): mklink /H link.txt target.txt
   • Junction (directory only): mklink /J "C:\LinkFolder" "D:\TargetFolder"
3. Example:
   Redirect a game save folder: mklink /D "C:\Games\Saves" "D:\Dropbox\Saves"

💡 Tip: Enable Developer Mode to Avoid Admin Prompt

If you’re on Windows 10 or 11:

• Open Settings → Update & Security → For Developers
• Turn on Developer Mode
• You can now use symlinks in standard command prompts and scripts without admin rights.

Visual Example: Symlink Use Case

Let’s say your C: drive is full, and you want to move a project to D: but keep paths intact.

move "C:\Projects\MyApp" "D:\Projects\MyApp"
mklink /D "C:\Projects\MyApp" "D:\Projects\MyApp"

Now, any app or IDE that looks for C:\Projects\MyApp still finds it—no errors, no broken paths.

How to Check if a Symlink Exists

Use the dir command:

dir C:\Projects

Symlinks will show as <SYMLINK> or <SYMLINKD> depending on type.

You can also use:

fsutil reparsepoint query <link>

Deleting a Symlink

Just delete the symlink like a normal file or folder. This won’t delete the target:

del link.txt
rmdir C:\LinkFolder

Be careful not to delete the target by mistake.

Gotchas and Limitations

• Hard links only work with files on the same volume.
• Junctions don’t support relative paths.
• Broken symlinks can confuse some apps—especially older ones.

Final Thoughts

Symlinks are a clean, efficient way to redirect, reorganize, and manage files on Windows—without the mess. Whether you’re a developer juggling project folders, a gamer managing saves, or just someone trying to declutter, symlinks let you work smarter.

Master mklink, and your file system becomes a whole lot more flexible.

Got questions or clever use cases for symlinks? Drop them in the comments.