MKLINK – Create and Use Links in Windows

C:\Windows>mklink C:\Users\....\....\....\....\.....\...\<individual file> C:\1
The syntax of the command is incorrect.

I tried mklink with both the link and target options, no success ?

Are you running in an elevated cmd?

JerometheGiraff said:

C:\Windows>mklink C:\Users\....\....\....\....\.....\...\<individual file> C:\1
The syntax of the command is incorrect.

I tried mklink with both the link and target options, no success ?

A file link is a hard link. This from the tutorial:

A Link can be so called Hard Link linking one file to a target file, or a Soft Link linking a folder to a target folder. Soft Links are also called Symbolic Links. Third link type is Junction, basically a hard link but as hard links can only link files we need to use junctions to link folders.

Your mklink command has no switches, meaning that Windows thinks it is a symbolic link (a folder). To create a hard link you have to use the /H switch. Another error in your command, and this is quite a fundamental error, is that you have mixed the link and the target, switching their places.

Here's an example of using the mklink to create a file (hard) link:

• I have an ISO file W10TP_BUILD_10166_X64_EN-US.iso stored in E:\Users\Public\Downloads folder
• I want to refer to this ISO file with a shorter link E:\Test.iso
• The mklink command I have to give, with the /H switch to tell the system I will create a hard link, and link & target in correct places:
  
  Code:

  mklink /H E:\Test.iso E:\Users\Public\Downloads\W10TP_BUILD_10166_X64_EN-US.iso

• The file (hard) link will now be created

That's it.

Kari

It's far easier to use a GUI. This is the one I use. https://github.com/amd989/Symlinker

It's what you are used to use. I bet I can open the command prompt and type my command in the time I would need to start a third party tool and do the same.

Screenshot in my previous post, I didn't need a full minute to open the command prompt, give the command and make a screenshot.

You are right of course Kari. It is what you are used to.