Or use File Explorer (delete as normal). You can move or rename a soft link freely – it still points to the original target. Changing target of a link (repointing) Cannot modify existing symlink – delete and recreate:
# Move "HeavyGame" from C:\ to D:\Games mklink /D "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\HeavyGame" "D:\Games\HeavyGame" Store configs in a Git repo, symlink to expected locations:
mklink /D "C:\NetLink" "\\server\share\folder" Requires target share permissions and access. Allowed but dangerous – if USB is missing, apps may crash or hang. PowerShell New-Item (modern method) # File symlink New-Item -ItemType SymbolicLink -Path "C:\link.txt" -Target "D:\real.txt" Folder symlink New-Item -ItemType SymbolicLink -Path "C:\linkfolder" -Target "D:\realfolder" 8. Troubleshooting ❌ "You do not have sufficient privilege" Fix: Run Command Prompt as Administrator or enable Developer Mode. ❌ "The system cannot find the file specified" Fix: Your target path is wrong or missing. Check spelling and existence. ❌ "Cannot create a file when that file already exists" Fix: The link path already has a real file/folder. Delete/move it first. ❌ "The device does not support symbolic links" Fix: You're trying to create a link on a FAT32/exFAT USB drive. Convert to NTFS or use ReFS. ❌ Symlink works in Explorer but not in apps Fix: Some old apps follow links only if you enable application compatibility : windows soft link
1. What is a Soft Link? A Soft Link (Symbolic Link or Symlink) is a special file system object that points to another file or folder. Think of it as a virtual shortcut that both programs and Windows itself treat as if it were the original file/folder. Soft Link vs. Hard Link vs. Junction vs. Shortcut (.lnk) | Feature | Soft Link (Symlink) | Hard Link | Junction | Shortcut (.lnk) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Works across drives | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (same volume) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | | Works across network | ✅ Yes (need enabled) | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | | Points to directories | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (files only) | ✅ Yes (directories only) | ✅ Yes | | Points to files | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | | Transparent to apps | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (opens in explorer) | | Survives target deletion | ❌ No (broken link) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
mklink /D "C:\Users\Me\Dropbox\WorkFiles" "D:\Work\ImportantFiles" Steam games (move installation folder): Or use File Explorer (delete as normal)
# For file link del "C:\link.txt" rmdir "C:\link_folder"
rmdir "C:\link" mklink /D "C:\link" "E:\new_target" 📁 Free up C: drive space Move large folders to D: drive, then symlink back: Allowed but dangerous – if USB is missing,
05/01/2025 10:00 AM <SYMLINKD> project [D:\Archive\Project_2025] Get-ChildItem -Path C:\ -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Where-Object $_.LinkType -eq 'SymbolicLink' -and -not (Test-Path $_.Target) Deleting a soft link DO NOT delete the target – delete just the link file/folder.