Symbolic Link Folder Windows 〈Cross-Platform〉

Example: Moving Steam games. The game files are moved to D:\Games\Skyrim , and a link is created at C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim .

A path-based pointer. If you move the target, the link breaks. It can point to remote network paths.

Unlike standard Windows Shortcuts ( .lnk files), which are actual files interpreted by the Windows Shell, symbolic links function at the file system level (NTFS). This means that applications, command-line tools, and scripts interact with the link as if it were the actual folder, often being unaware that a redirection is occurring. symbolic link folder windows

PowerShell uses the New-Item cmdlet:

Directory Junctions can sometimes bypass security boundaries because the system follows the link without validating the zone. Windows 10 and 11 have implemented "Remote to Local" and "Remote to Remote" symbolic link policies to mitigate this. Example: Moving Steam games

: Many cloud services like Dropbox or OneDrive only sync folders within their specific "Sync" directory. By creating a symlink inside your Dropbox folder that points to an external folder, you can sync that external data without moving it.

Example: mklink /J "C:\Data\Photos" "D:\Archives\Photos" If you move the target, the link breaks

If the target folder is renamed, moved, or deleted, the symbolic link becomes "broken." Accessing it will result in a "Location is not available" error.

Often referred to as a , a symbolic link is a file system object that points to another file or folder. Unlike a basic shortcut, which is just a .lnk file that the Windows shell knows how to follow, a symbolic link is integrated into the file system itself (NTFS). This makes it "transparent" to applications, which treat the link as if it were the actual physical folder. Why Use Symbolic Link Folders? Symbolic links solve several common technical headaches:

Simply delete the link folder using File Explorer or the rmdir command. Deleting a symbolic link folder does not delete the target folder or its contents.