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The commands you need
Windows treats a file link and a directory link as different command targets. Use the link’s own path in the command. The original file or directory remains in place when you remove only that link entry.
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| What you are removing | Command Prompt command | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| File symbolic link | del "C:pathtofile-link" |
Use the file-link path, not the destination path. Microsoft Q&A guidance distinguishes file links as removable with del; the guidance is community support material rather than a complete standalone table in the main command reference. Microsoft Q&A |
| Directory symbolic link | rmdir "C:pathtodirectory-link"or rd "C:pathtodirectory-link" |
rd and rmdir are equivalent command names. Microsoft’s mklink example removes a directory symbolic link with rd. Microsoft Learn: mklink Microsoft Learn: rmdir |
| Directory junction | rmdir "C:pathtojunction" |
A junction is the directory-link type created by mklink /j. Avoid recursive-delete switches when the objective is only to remove the junction entry. Microsoft Learn: mklink Microsoft Q&A |
| Hard link (not a symbolic link) | del "C:pathtohard-link" |
Microsoft’s official mklink example uses del to remove its hard-link name. Do not confuse this row with a symbolic-link removal procedure. Microsoft Learn: mklink |
Why removing the link does not remove the destination
A symbolic link is a filesystem name that redirects access to another file or directory. The command must name that redirecting entry. When the link entry is removed, the destination path is not the object being passed to del or rmdir. The practical danger is therefore path selection: typing the destination instead of the link can remove the original item, while adding recursive options to a directory command can request deletion of the destination tree.
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- Link path: the file or directory name you want to stop using.
- Target path: the original file or directory to keep.
Microsoft’s mklink syntax names the link argument first and the target argument second. That ordering is a useful way to check which path should be removed. The Microsoft Learn syntax and example show the two paths as distinct arguments.
Identify the link type before deleting it
The command you need depends on whether the link represents a file or a directory. The way a link was created can provide the clue:
mklink Link Targetcreates a file symbolic link by default.mklink /d Link Targetcreates a directory symbolic link.mklink /j Link Targetcreates a directory junction.mklink /h Link Targetcreates a hard link, which is a different link type from a symbolic link.
These switches and link types are defined in Microsoft Learn’s mklink documentation, which applies to Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2025 in the editions listed there. See the current command reference.
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If you do not know how the entry was created, do not guess from the name alone. Verify whether the entry is being treated as a file or a directory, and verify the exact link path. If you cannot confidently identify both, stop and inspect it before running a deletion command. A familiar-looking destination folder is not evidence that it is the link entry.
Safe removal procedure in Command Prompt
- Write down both paths. Record the link path you intend to remove and the destination path that must remain. Compare the spelling, drive letter, and every folder name.
- Classify the entry. Decide whether it is a file symbolic link, directory symbolic link, junction, or hard link. Use the creation switches above when that information is available.
- Open Command Prompt in a location where the full path is unambiguous. Using a complete quoted path avoids accidentally acting on a similarly named entry in another folder.
- Quote paths containing spaces. For example, use
del "C:Shared FilesReportslatest-report", not an unquoted path that splits at the space. - Run the non-recursive command for the link type. Use
delfor a file link andrmdirorrdfor a directory link or junction. - Do not add directory-tree switches. Leave
/sand/qout when your goal is to remove only the link. - Check the result without opening the destination through the old name. The link name should no longer be available, while the original path should still be available at its own location.
The procedure deliberately uses the smallest command that addresses the link entry. It avoids turning a link-removal task into a recursive directory deletion.
File symbolic links: use del
Basic command
del "C:Projectscurrent-config.json"In this example, C:Projectscurrent-config.json must be the symbolic-link name. The destination might be somewhere else, such as a versioned configuration file; do not substitute that destination in the command.
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When the filename contains spaces
del "C:Work AreaShared Settingscurrent-config.json"Quotation marks keep the complete path together. They are especially important when a link was created inside a folder such as Work Area or Shared Settings.
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Do not use the destination’s path just because following the link shows the destination’s contents. The command must address the link name itself. Also do not use rmdir on a file link merely because it redirects to a directory-like location; classify the link entry first.
Directory symbolic links and junctions: use rmdir or rd
Directory symbolic-link command
rmdir "C:UsersAlexDocumentsProject Alias"The shorter equivalent is:
rd "C:UsersAlexDocumentsProject Alias"Microsoft’s own mklink example uses rd to remove a directory symbolic link. Microsoft documents rd and rmdir as the same command, so choose either spelling and keep the link path in quotes when necessary. Microsoft Learn’s mklink example and the rmdir reference document this behavior.
Junction command
rmdir "D:BuildsActive"Use the same non-recursive directory command for a junction created with mklink /j target-link. The path in the command is the junction entry, not the directory to which it points.
Why /s and /q are dangerous here
Microsoft documents the rmdir syntax as rmdir [drive:]path [/s [/q]]. The /s switch deletes the specified directory tree and its files. The /q switch suppresses confirmation when it is used with /s. Those options are designed for removing a directory tree, not for simply unlinking a directory-link entry. Read Microsoft’s rmdir switch definitions.
For a link-only operation, use exactly one of these forms:
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rmdir "C:pathtodirectory-link"rd "C:pathtodirectory-link"
Do not turn either form into rmdir /s, rd /s, or a command that combines /s /q. The extra switches change the requested operation from removing a link entry to deleting a directory tree.
Worked examples
Removing a file link while preserving its original
Suppose an application uses C:Appsettings.json as a link to a file stored under D:ProfilesProductionsettings.json. To remove the application-facing link, run:
del "C:Appsettings.json"Do not run del "D:ProfilesProductionsettings.json"; that names the destination rather than the link.
Removing a directory link while preserving the original directory
Suppose C:UsersSamDesktopAssets is a directory symbolic link to E:MediaAssets. Remove the link entry with:
rmdir "C:UsersSamDesktopAssets"The destination path, E:MediaAssets, is not the command argument.
Removing a junction
If a build tool created a junction named C:BuildCurrent that points elsewhere, use:
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rd "C:BuildCurrent"Keep the command non-recursive. A junction is represented as a directory link for this removal workflow.
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Removing a hard-link name
If you deliberately created a hard link with mklink /h, Microsoft’s example removes that hard-link name with:
del "C:Archiveold-name.txt"This is included to prevent a common mix-up: /h creates a hard link, not a symbolic link. Follow the hard-link example only when you have confirmed that is the type you created.
Checks to perform before pressing Enter
- Path check: Does the command name the link entry itself, rather than the path you want to keep?
- Type check: Is the entry a file link, directory link, junction, or hard link?
- Switch check: For a directory entry, did you omit
/sand/q? - Quoting check: Are spaces and parentheses inside a quoted complete path?
- Destination check: Have you separately recorded the original path so you can verify it was not the command target?
- Scope check: Is the drive letter and folder hierarchy exactly the one you intend to change?
These checks matter more than whether you choose rd or rmdir; those two names perform the same directory command.
Troubleshooting without risking the original
The command cannot find the path
Recheck the link path character by character, including the drive letter, capitalization where relevant to your own records, spaces, punctuation, and the link’s extension. Confirm that you are not accidentally using the destination path. If the entry was moved or renamed, locate the current link name before trying again rather than substituting the original target.
You are unsure whether the entry is a file or directory
Stop before deleting it. Review the command that created it: no switch means a file symbolic link, /d means a directory symbolic link, /j means a junction, and /h means a hard link. If that history is unavailable, inspect the entry and establish its type first. A directory command applied to an uncertain path is not a safe experiment.
You were about to use /s to make the command work
Do not. /s requests deletion of the directory tree and its files according to Microsoft’s rmdir documentation. Remove the switch and return to the plain rd or rmdir form with the link path.
The original appears missing afterward
Stop issuing further deletion commands. Compare the command you ran with the two paths you recorded. If the destination path was used, or if a recursive option was included, the operation was broader than link removal. The safest next step is to preserve the current state and verify exactly which path was acted on before attempting any recovery.
The file-link command seems wrong for your entry
The primary Microsoft Learn page gives an explicit removal example for a directory symbolic link and a hard link, while Microsoft Q&A supplies the practical del distinction for file symbolic links. Treat that file-link instruction as support guidance, and confirm that your entry is genuinely a file link before applying it. Microsoft Q&A: “How to remove a symbolic link?”
What Microsoft’s documentation establishes
Microsoft Learn describes mklink as creating a directory or file symbolic or hard link. Its documented switches distinguish file symbolic links, directory symbolic links, hard links, and junctions, and its example removes a directory symbolic link with rd and a hard link with del. See the official mklink page.
The separate rmdir reference establishes that rd is an equivalent command name and explains the destructive scope of /s and /q. See the official rmdir page.
The practical file-symbolic-link distinction comes from a Microsoft Q&A response. Because that is historical community guidance rather than a complete removal matrix in the main Learn page, apply it only after confirming that the path is a file symbolic link. Read the support response.
A compact decision guide
| Question | Action |
|---|---|
| Is the link entry a file symbolic link? | Run del "link-path". |
| Is it a directory symbolic link? | Run rmdir "link-path" or rd "link-path". |
| Is it a junction? | Run non-recursive rmdir "link-path" or rd "link-path". |
| Is it a hard link? | Use del "link-path", following the hard-link distinction rather than treating it as a symbolic link. |
| Are you uncertain about the type or path? | Do not delete yet; verify the entry and the link path first. |
Bottom line
Use del for a file symbolic-link name and rd or rmdir for a directory symbolic link or junction. In every case, supply the link path itself, quote paths with spaces, and leave /s and /q out of directory-link removal. That combination removes the redirecting entry without intentionally targeting the original path.
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