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Short answer: Use a hard link when you need a second name for one existing file on the same volume. Use a symbolic link when you need a path that redirects to a file or directory, including a target on another local volume or a remote UNC path. For redirecting directories between local volumes on one computer, evaluate a junction as a third option.
These are different filesystem designs, not interchangeable shortcuts. A hard link adds another directory entry for the same file. A symbolic link is a separate object that stores a target path. That distinction determines what each can target, how volume boundaries work, what happens when a target is moved or missing, and what deletion means.
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What a hard link represents
Microsoft defines a hard link as “the file-system representation of a file by which more than one path references a single file in the same volume.” In practical terms, the original filename and every hard-linked filename are names for one file record. There is no primary copy and secondary copy.
Because all names resolve to the same file, editing through one name changes what every other name exposes. File contents, metadata handled at the filesystem level, and the file’s lifetime belong to the shared file rather than to one particular pathname. A hard link can be created only for a file that already exists, and the link must be on the same volume as that file. NTFS hard links cannot target directories.
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The file remains available until its final hard link is removed. Deleting one pathname therefore removes one directory entry, not necessarily the underlying file. If another hard-link name remains, applications can still open and modify the file through that name.
Read Microsoft’s overview of this model in Hard Links and Junctions.
What a symbolic link represents
A symbolic link, or symlink, is its own filesystem object containing a target path. When an application opens the link, Windows resolves that path and then accesses the target. The link and target are therefore distinct objects, even when the link makes the target appear at another location.
Symbolic links can target files or directories. Microsoft documents both absolute and relative target paths, and it documents links whose targets are remote UNC paths. Relative symbolic links are restricted to one volume; an absolute path can name a target elsewhere, subject to the path being reachable and permitted in the environment.
A symlink can be created before its target exists. The link itself is created, but opening it while the target is absent returns ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND. This makes symlinks useful for layouts that are assembled in stages, but it also means that successful link creation is not proof that the eventual target is available.
Creation and privilege behavior depends on the API context and machine policy. The Windows CreateSymbolicLink API distinguishes file and directory targets with flags. Microsoft also documents SYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_ALLOW_UNPRIVILEGED_CREATE; the conditions for using it, including Developer Mode conditions described for some UWP scenarios, mean there is no universal rule that every symlink operation always requires elevation. See Creating Symbolic Links for the API contract.
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Hard link, symbolic link, or junction: comparison
| Decision axis | Hard link | Symbolic link | Junction |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Another directory entry for the same file | A separate filesystem object that points to a target path | A directory link implemented through a reparse point |
| Target types | Files only | Files or directories | Directories only |
| Volume and location | Existing file and link must be on the same volume | Can name path targets, including remote UNC targets; relative links are restricted to one volume | Can connect directories on different local volumes on the same computer; Microsoft’s overview excludes mapped network volumes |
| Change behavior | All names expose the same file; changes through any name are shared | Path resolution leads from the link to the target; the objects remain separate | Directory access is redirected through a reparse point |
| Missing target | Not a mechanism for a nonexistent file | Can be created, but opening it fails with ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND until the target exists |
Support for a missing target is not stated in Microsoft’s overview |
| Best fit | A second name for one same-volume file | File or directory path redirection | Local directory redirection where junction behavior fits |
Choose by the job you need to do
Use a hard link for another name for one file
Choose a hard link when two paths should be equivalent names for one existing file, and both paths can stay on the same volume. This is the right mental model for exposing one file in two directory locations without creating a second data object. Any process that writes through either pathname is writing the same file.
Check the volume before designing the layout. A path on another drive letter, another mounted volume, or another filesystem volume cannot be the destination for an NTFS hard link to the original file. The restriction is about the volume, not merely whether both paths are on the same physical disk.
Use a symbolic link for path redirection
Choose a symbolic link when the requirement is “make this path lead to that path.” Symlinks can point to a file or a directory, and the target path can be absolute, relative, local, or a remote UNC path as documented by Microsoft. They are the flexible choice when the visible path and the storage path are intentionally different.
Because the link stores a path, operations that depend on the target must account for path validity. A link can remain in place while its target is renamed, moved, disconnected, or deleted; the link object still exists, but opening it may fail. Relative and absolute forms also have different portability characteristics: a relative target is interpreted from the link’s path context, while an absolute target names a fixed location.
Evaluate a junction for local directory redirection
When the target is a directory on another local volume of the same computer, compare a directory symlink with a junction. Microsoft describes junctions as directory links implemented through reparse points and says they can connect directories on different local volumes on that computer. The same overview excludes mapped network volumes, so a junction is not a general replacement for a UNC-capable symlink.
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Imagine a file stored at D:Projectsreport.docx and a second hard-link name at D:Archivereport.docx. Both directory entries identify the same underlying file. Opening either path produces the same contents; saving through one path is immediately visible through the other. There is no synchronization job and no second copy to reconcile.
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Removing D:Projectsreport.docx removes that name. The file remains available through D:Archivereport.docx until the last hard-link name is removed. This behavior is useful when multiple directory layouts must expose one file, but it can surprise administrators who expect deleting the “original” pathname to destroy the data.
Hard links do not provide directory aliases. Since NTFS hard links are for files, attempting to model an entire folder tree with hard links is the wrong approach; use a directory symbolic link or, where appropriate, a junction.
Create and inspect a hard link with Windows tools
Microsoft documents the fsutil commands for NTFS hard links. Run them in a context with permission to create the destination directory entry, and use fully qualified paths when you want to avoid ambiguity.
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- Confirm that the existing path identifies a file, not a directory.
- Run
fsutil hardlink create <newfilename> <existingfilename>, replacing the placeholders with the destination name and the already-existing file path. - Open or edit either pathname and verify that the other pathname exposes the same change. This checks the shared-file behavior rather than merely the command’s return status.
- To enumerate hard-link names associated with a file, run
fsutil hardlink list <filename>.
If the create command fails, first check the volume and target type. Cross-volume paths and directory targets violate the hard-link requirements. Also check ordinary filesystem permissions for the destination directory.
Create a symbolic link through the Windows API
Windows exposes symbolic-link creation through CreateSymbolicLink. The API call takes the new link path, the target path, and flags that identify whether the target is a file or a directory. The exact program or scripting layer you use may wrap this API, but the filesystem decisions remain the same.
- Decide whether the target is a file or a directory; pass the corresponding symbolic-link flag so Windows interprets the target correctly.
- Choose an absolute or relative target path. Use a relative target when the link should be interpreted from its path context and remains within one volume; use an absolute path when the intended location is explicit, including a UNC target where appropriate.
- Ensure the destination parent directory exists and that the process has permission to create a link there.
- Call
CreateSymbolicLink. If your environment supports unprivileged creation, the documentedSYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_ALLOW_UNPRIVILEGED_CREATEflag may be relevant; whether it succeeds depends on API context and machine policy. - Test the link by opening the link path and checking the expected target. Do not treat creation success alone as proof that a target exists.
Microsoft’s API details, target-type flags, and privilege conditions are documented in Creating Symbolic Links.
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Absolute and relative symbolic links
Absolute targets
An absolute symlink records a complete path. It is explicit and easy to reason about when the target has a stable location, but moving the target tree to another location does not automatically rewrite that stored path. If the target path changes, the link may become unusable until it is recreated or the target is restored at the recorded location.
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A relative symlink records a path interpreted in relation to the link’s location. This can make a directory tree more relocatable when the relative relationship between link and target is preserved. It does not make the link location-independent: changing the relationship between the two paths can break resolution. Microsoft documents that relative symbolic links are restricted to one volume, so they are not a way to express a relative cross-volume link.
Before choosing either form, define what is expected to move: the target alone, the containing tree, or neither. The link mechanism does not promise automatic tracking of arbitrary moves.
Missing targets and broken-link diagnostics
A symbolic link may legitimately exist while its target is absent. For example, a deployment can create a link before a data volume is mounted. Until the target path becomes valid, opening the link returns ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND.
When diagnosing a failure, separate three questions:
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- Does the link object exist at the path you are opening?
- Does the stored target path resolve to an existing file or directory?
- Can the calling process access that target and its parent directories?
A “broken” symlink is not the same as a deleted symlink. The link can remain as an object even when the target has been removed or renamed. Recreating the target at the exact stored path may restore access without recreating the link.
Deletion and API behavior
Deleting a symbolic link is intended to remove the link object, not the target. Microsoft’s symbolic-link behavior reference states that DeleteFile removes the symbolic link when the supplied path is itself a symbolic link. Other file APIs can act on the link or traverse to the target depending on their flags and semantics, so do not assume every command or application handles links identically. Check the behavior of the exact API or tool used in an automated cleanup.
Hard-link deletion follows a different lifetime rule. Removing one hard-link pathname removes that directory entry; the shared file remains while at least one other hard link exists. Data is released only after the final hard-link name is removed and no other open-handle conditions keep it alive.
For detailed edge cases around opening, deleting, and traversing symbolic links, consult Microsoft’s Programming Considerations.
Common failure cases
“The hard-link command will not create the link”
Check that the source is a file and that both paths are on the same volume. A directory source or a cross-volume destination is outside the hard-link model. Then check whether a destination entry with that name already exists and whether the process can write to the destination directory.
“The symbolic link was created, but opening it fails”
Read the target path exactly as stored by the link. A missing target produces ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND. For a relative link, verify the link’s location and the relative path calculation. For an absolute or UNC target, verify that the named volume or network path is currently available and that the process has access.
“Deleting the link deleted data”
First identify whether the path was a hard link or a symbolic link and which API performed the deletion. Removing a symlink should remove the link object, while removing one hard-link name leaves the file reachable through remaining names. Applications that traverse links or use special flags can produce behavior that differs from a simple pathname deletion, so test the exact cleanup operation before deploying it.
“A directory link does not work across a network mapping”
A junction is documented for directories on different local volumes on the same computer, and Microsoft’s overview excludes mapped network volumes. Use a symbolic link when the required target is a UNC path, and validate the network availability and permissions separately.
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- One existing file, same volume, second name: choose a hard link.
- File or directory redirection by path: choose a symbolic link.
- Directory redirection between local volumes on one computer: compare a junction with a directory symbolic link.
- Remote UNC target: use a symbolic link, because the documented junction overview excludes mapped network volumes.
- Target may not exist at creation time: a symbolic link can be created first, but your workflow must handle
ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUNDuntil the target appears. - Need predictable cleanup: verify whether the operation acts on the link or target, and remember that hard-linked data survives until its last link is removed.
- Need a movable directory tree: choose relative or absolute symlink paths deliberately; neither form guarantees that an arbitrary target move will be followed automatically.
The deciding question is whether you want another name for the same file or a path that redirects elsewhere. Once that distinction is clear, the volume, target-type, UNC, missing-target, and deletion rules determine the appropriate Windows mechanism.
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