mklink /D
The mklink
command is a powerful tool in the Windows command line that allows you to create symbolic links. A symbolic link is a special type of file that points to another file or directory on your system. When you access the symbolic link, it behaves as if you are accessing the target file or directory, even though the two are technically separate.
There are two types of symbolic links: file symbolic links and directory symbolic links.
File symbolic links point to a specific file, while directory symbolic links point to a directory. You can use the mklink
command with the /D
flag to create a directory symbolic link.
To use the mklink
command with the /D
flag, open a command prompt window and type the following:
mklink /D <link> <target>
Replace <link> with the path and name of the symbolic link you want to create, and <target> with the path of the target directory.
For example, to create a symbolic link at C:\link_to_documents
that points to the D:\documents
directory, you would use the following command:
mklink /D C:\link_to_documents D:\documents
When you access the C:\link_to_documents
directory, it will behave as if you are accessing the D:\documents
directory, even though the two are technically separate.
It’s important to note that creating symbolic links requires administrator privileges. You may need to run the mklink
command from an elevated command prompt to create the symbolic link.
There are many uses for symbolic links, such as creating a shortcut to a frequently accessed directory or consolidating multiple directories into one location. The mklink
command with the /D
flag is a handy tool to have in your toolkit when working with directories in Windows.