Problem making a soft link (MKLINK /D)

[theoldwizard1]

Had a recent system crash caused by kicking the power cord out (made certain THAT won't happen again). I have run CHKDSK /R C:

Very simple system

• C: drive contains Windows 7, application programs, and a small amount of user data (it is a 256 GB SSD)
• J: drive is mounted from a Synology box (rock solid; never a problem; 3 - 2TB WD disks in a RAID 5)
• Application wants to see data in C:\Users\A\Pictures. Previously had made soft links from folders J: to this location using MKLINK /D. Work this way for several years !
• From the Administrator account, CMD window
  • I go to the J: drive
  • Enter DIR and see the folders so the network drive IS mounted
  • I can walk the the directory tree down to the folder that contains the folder I want linked (J:\X\A\Seahorse)
  • Go back to the C:
  • CD to \Users\A\Pictures
  • MKLINK /D "J:\X\A\Seahorse" "Seahorse"

Then I get the error message "Cannot create a file when that file already exists"

DIR S* says there are No Files Found
The recycle bin on both the Administrator account and one user account are empty
Junction Link Magic show no softlinks with that name
There are other softlinks in that folder that DO appear to work

 

[speedgamer01]

You should write the target second:

MKLINK /D "C:\Users\A\Pictures\Seahorse" "J:\X\A\Seahorse"