Once you start using mklink /D , you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it. Just remember the golden rule:
mklink /D "C:\Work\ProjectX" "D:\CloudSync\ProjectX" Now OneDrive (watching D:\CloudSync ) backs up your files, while your application happily writes to C:\Work\ProjectX . Instead of navigating \\Server\Shared\Departments\Finance\Reports\2025\Q1 , create a symlink on your desktop: windows symlink folder
| Feature | Symbolic Link (Symlink) | Junction | Hard Link | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Local or network (UNC) path | Local volume only | Not possible for folders | | Relative paths | Yes | No | N/A | | Cross-volume | Yes | Yes | N/A | | Shows real path | No (transparent) | No | N/A | | Best for | Cloud folders, network drives, portable links | Legacy apps, same-drive redirection | (Files only) | Once you start using mklink /D , you’ll
mklink /D "C:\Users\YourName\Downloads" "D:\Downloads" PowerShell uses a different command, New-Item , with the -ItemType SymbolicLink parameter: Create a symlink to a version-controlled folder on
mklink /D "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\Q1Reports" "\\Server\Shared\Departments\Finance\Reports\2025\Q1" Many games store mods in C:\Program Files\Game\Mods . Create a symlink to a version-controlled folder on your data drive: