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On Windows 10 (build 14972 or later) and Windows 11, the documented non-elevated route is to turn on Developer Mode and then create the link from an ordinary Command Prompt with mklink or from PowerShell with New-Item. This works only when the device allows Developer Mode. If a work or school policy blocks that setting, you cannot grant yourself the required privilege; a device administrator must assign the Create symbolic links user right or create the link for you.
What a Windows symbolic link does
A symbolic link (symlink) is a filesystem entry that points to another file or directory. Programs open the link path, while Windows resolves that path to the target. A symlink can point to a file or to a directory, and its target can be written as either an absolute or a relative path.
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Symlinks are useful when software expects data at one fixed location but the data lives somewhere else. For example, a project can keep large assets on another folder while a link preserves the path that a build script already uses. The link itself is not a second copy of the target; deleting or replacing the target affects what applications reach through the link.
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| Command form | Object created | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
mklink Link Target |
File symbolic link | Use when the link represents a file. |
mklink /d Link Target |
Directory symbolic link | Use when the link represents a folder. |
mklink /j Link Target |
Directory junction | Redirects a directory but is not a symbolic link. |
mklink /h Link Target |
Hard link | Creates another directory entry for a file, not a symlink. |
If an application specifically checks for a symbolic link, a junction or hard link is not an equivalent substitute. Choose the object type before running the command.
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What you need before creating the link
- A Windows 10 installation at build 14972 or newer, or Windows 11, for the documented Developer Mode behavior.
- Permission to enable Developer Mode on that device. An organization may manage or hide this setting.
- The complete path for the new link and the complete path for the existing target.
- A link name that does not already exist. The target must be the object you intend to expose through the link.
Keep the two paths separate while planning: the link path comes first in mklink, and the existing destination comes second. Put paths containing spaces in quotation marks.
Which non-elevated method should you use?
| Method | Best for | Condition for no elevation | Main detail |
|---|---|---|---|
mklink in Command Prompt |
A quick manual file or directory link | Developer Mode is enabled and permitted by device policy | No switch creates a file symlink; /d is required for a directory symlink. |
PowerShell New-Item |
Scripts and PowerShell workflows | Developer Mode is enabled on Windows 10 build 14972 or later, or Windows 11 | -Path names the new link and -Target names its destination. |
Win32 CreateSymbolicLink API |
Software that creates links programmatically | Pass SYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_ALLOW_UNPRIVILEGED_CREATE (value 0x2) where supported |
UWP and MSIX have different Developer Mode requirements in Microsoft’s API documentation. |
| Assigned user right | Managed computers where Developer Mode is unavailable | An authorized administrator grants Create symbolic links | This is a policy change, not something an ordinary user can grant to themselves. |
Enable Developer Mode without elevating the shell
Developer Mode is the practical switch that allows the shell methods to create symlinks without running the shell as administrator. Open Windows Settings and locate the device’s For developers or Developer Mode page. The exact label and location can vary by Windows build and organizational policy. Turn on Developer Mode if the control is available, and accept any confirmation Windows displays.
If the Developer Mode control is missing
A missing, disabled, or centrally managed control means the signed-in account may not be allowed to change the setting. Do not assume that being a local standard user is enough to enable it. On a work or school device, ask the administrator whether policy permits Developer Mode or whether they can assign the Create symbolic links user right. If neither is allowed, an unelevated shell cannot create the symlink.
Open a normal shell
After enabling Developer Mode, open Command Prompt or PowerShell as the signed-in user. Do not choose Run as administrator for this route; the point is to verify that the Developer Mode path works without elevation.
Create a symlink with Command Prompt
Create a file symbolic link
- Open Command Prompt normally.
- Run
mklink "C:pathtoLinkName" "C:pathtoTargetFile". - Read the command’s success or error message. The first path is the new link; the second is the existing file.
For example, a link named Notice.txt in one folder can point to an existing file in another folder:
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mklink "C:WorkNotice.txt" "D:SharedNotice.txt"Do not reverse those arguments. Reversing them asks Windows to create a link at the target location and point it at the name you meant to create.
Create a directory symbolic link
- Confirm that the target folder already exists and that the proposed link name does not.
- Run
mklink /d "C:pathtoLinkFolder" "C:pathtoTargetFolder". - Use the link path in applications exactly as you would use an ordinary directory path.
mklink /d "C:ProjectsAssets" "D:LargeAssetsCurrent"The /d switch is essential for a directory symbolic link. Without it, mklink creates a file symbolic link and will not create the intended folder link.
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Microsoft documents both absolute and relative targets. An absolute target, such as D:SharedNotice.txt, does not depend on where the link directory is moved. A relative target uses . and .. conventions and is resolved from the link’s location, so it can keep a self-contained directory tree movable. Relative symbolic links are restricted to a single volume; use an absolute target when the destination is on another volume or when the link must remain unambiguous after folders are rearranged.
Create a symlink with PowerShell
Basic file-link command
In a normal PowerShell window, use:
New-Item -ItemType SymbolicLink -Path .link -Target .Notice.txt-Path identifies the new link and -Target identifies the destination. The example creates a link named link in the current directory that points to Notice.txt.
Directory-link command
The same cmdlet creates a directory symbolic link when the target is a folder:
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New-Item -ItemType SymbolicLink -Path C:ProjectsAssets -Target D:LargeAssetsCurrentBeginning with PowerShell 7.1, Microsoft documents relative paths for a directory symbolic link on Windows. A relative directory target is interpreted from the link’s location, so preserve the directory layout the link expects.
Why PowerShell may still request elevation
PowerShell’s documentation states that Windows ordinarily requires administrator elevation for symbolic-link creation. Windows 10 build 14972 or later with Developer Mode enabled removes that requirement for the documented shell scenario. If the command still reports a privilege error, check Developer Mode and device policy before changing the command.
Check that the link points to the intended target
Check from Command Prompt
Use dir on the parent directory and look for the link entry. Windows displays symbolic-link entries with a link indicator and the destination. Open the link path with the application that will use it, and confirm that the expected file or folder appears.
Check from PowerShell
Use Get-Item on the link path to inspect the item returned by PowerShell:
Get-Item -LiteralPath .link | Format-List *Review the item details and target information rather than assuming that a successful command created the intended object. Also verify that the destination is the correct file or directory; a link can be syntactically valid while pointing to the wrong location.
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Test the consumer path
Finally, use the exact path that your script or application will use. A successful listing is not enough if the consuming program has its own restrictions on reparse points or link traversal. If the consumer fails while Explorer can open the path, investigate that program’s handling of symlinks rather than recreating the link repeatedly.
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“You do not have sufficient privilege” or “Access is denied”
- Confirm that Developer Mode is enabled on the same Windows installation where you are running the command.
- Check whether the setting is disabled or controlled by an organization. A managed policy can override what a standard user can change.
- If Developer Mode cannot be used, ask an authorized administrator to grant the Create symbolic links user right or to create the link in an elevated session.
- Do not try to modify the user-rights policy yourself as a standard user; the policy is intended to be assigned by an administrator.
PowerShell says “mklink is not recognized”
mklink is a Command Prompt command, not a PowerShell cmdlet. Stay in PowerShell and use New-Item -ItemType SymbolicLink, or explicitly invoke the command processor:
cmd /c mklink "C:pathtoLinkName" "C:pathtoTargetFile"The PowerShell cmdlet usually makes parameter intent clearer and avoids command-shell quoting differences.
The command says the file already exists
The proposed link path must not already be occupied by a file, folder, or previous link. Check the parent directory, remove or rename only the entry you are certain is the old link, and then run the creation command again. Do not delete the target merely because the link name is occupied; the target is a separate object.
A directory link behaves like a file link
In Command Prompt, rerun the command with /d when the destination is a directory. In PowerShell, keep -ItemType SymbolicLink and make sure -Target names the intended folder. A junction created with /j may redirect a directory, but it will not satisfy software that requires a symbolic link.
The link works in one location but breaks after moving it
This usually indicates a relative target whose relationship to the link changed. Relative targets are resolved from the link’s location and are intended for directory trees that move together. Recreate the link with an absolute target when the destination should remain fixed, or move the complete tree while preserving its relative layout. Remember that relative symbolic links are limited to one volume.
The target is on another drive
Use an absolute target path for a cross-volume relationship. A relative symbolic link cannot span volumes according to Microsoft’s file-I/O guidance. Also check that both drive letters are available in the account and session where the consuming application runs.
When an administrator must intervene
Windows associates symlink creation with the Create symbolic links user right, also known as SeCreateSymbolicLinkPrivilege. Microsoft documents this as a device-level policy under Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignment. An authorized administrator can assign the right to an account through that policy, but an ordinary user cannot use the policy to elevate their own account.
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This option is appropriate for managed devices that cannot enable Developer Mode, but it changes a security-sensitive privilege. Microsoft’s UserRights Policy documentation warns that the privilege should be given only to trusted users because symbolic links can expose vulnerabilities in applications that are not designed to handle them.
For developers: the Win32 API route
Applications that create links programmatically can call the Win32 CreateSymbolicLink function. Its dwFlags parameter accepts SYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_ALLOW_UNPRIVILEGED_CREATE (0x2), which Microsoft describes as allowing symbolic-link creation when the process is not elevated.
Packaging conditions matter
The API documentation distinguishes application packaging contexts. For a UWP caller, Developer Mode is required for the unprivileged flag to work. The same documentation states that MSIX does not require Developer Mode for that flag. These conditions apply to software calling this API; they do not change the behavior of every older command-line utility or shell.
Do not generalize the API flag to shell commands
Passing the API flag in an application is different from running mklink or New-Item. A program must call the API correctly and handle its return value and errors. For manual commands, follow the Developer Mode or administrator-policy routes described above.
Quick Recap
Security and operational considerations
- Any program that follows the link may reach files outside the directory where the link appears. Treat links in shared or writable locations as a trust boundary.
- Do not grant the user right broadly just to avoid one failed command. Microsoft characterizes the privilege as intended for trusted users.
- Keep track of whether a path is a symlink, junction, or ordinary directory so backup, deployment, and cleanup scripts handle it deliberately.
- Before removing a link, verify that you are deleting the link entry rather than the target path. The two paths are distinct, but an indiscriminate cleanup script can still operate on the resolved destination.
- Use absolute targets for stable fixed locations and relative targets only when the portability benefit outweighs their location and single-volume constraints.
Practical decision checklist
- Need a file link? Use
mklink Link Targetor PowerShellNew-Item -ItemType SymbolicLink. - Need a directory link? Use
mklink /d Link Target; do not substitute/jwhen a true symlink is required. - Need no elevation? Enable Developer Mode first, provided device policy allows it.
- Developer Mode unavailable? Ask the administrator about the Create symbolic links user right or an elevated creation session.
- Need portability? Use a relative target only for a tree that moves together on one volume; otherwise use an absolute target.
- Need to build this into software? Use the Win32 API flag for unprivileged creation and follow the packaging-specific Developer Mode requirements.
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