Create Symbolic Link Windows 11 'link' Jun 2026

In the days of Windows XP and Vista, creating symlinks was restricted. It required Developer Mode or strictly elevated Administrator privileges. Windows 11 (and Windows 10 before it) has relaxed this for the modern user, provided they have the correct permissions.

The underlying file system, , is what makes this possible. NTFS supports "Reparse Points"—a mechanism that tells the OS "stop looking here, go look there." When you use a Symlink, you are manipulating the Master File Table (MFT) to reference a reparse point. create symbolic link windows 11

By default, creating symlinks requires Administrator privileges for security. You can bypass this requirement by enabling : In the days of Windows XP and Vista,

Press Win + X → "Terminal (Admin)" or search "cmd" → Run as administrator. The underlying file system, , is what makes this possible

: Search for "cmd" in the Start menu, right-click it, and select Run as administrator . Use the Syntax : For a File : mklink "LinkPath" "TargetPath" For a Directory (Folder) : mklink /D "LinkPath" "TargetPath"