How To Create Symbolic Link Windows Jun 2026

| Feature | Symbolic Link (Soft Link) | Hard Link | Junction | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Can cross file systems (different drives). | Must be on the same volume. | Can cross volumes but only directories. | | Target Type | File or Directory. | Files only. | Directories only. | | Survival | If the target is deleted, the link becomes broken (dead link). | If the target is deleted, the data remains accessible via the link. | Similar to Symbolic Links. | | Usage | Redirecting paths to different drives. | Backups or mirroring data on the same drive. | Mapping folders on older systems. |

mklink "D:\Data\Report.docx" "C:\Users\Documents\Report.docx" how to create symbolic link windows

mklink command. A symbolic link acts like a shortcut but operates at the file system level, making a file or folder appear as if it exists in a different location. Method 1: Using Command Prompt (Recommended) This is the standard way to create links without installing extra software. Open Command Prompt as Administrator | Feature | Symbolic Link (Soft Link) |

This will create a symbolic link named link.txt that points to C:\Path\To\Actual\File.txt . | | Target Type | File or Directory

Right-click the empty space and select . Why Use Symbolic Links?

You can also create symbolic links using PowerShell:

mklink "C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\shortcut.txt" "D:\Documents\original.txt"