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Inspect the folder’s filesystem metadata instead of relying on how it looks in File Explorer. In PowerShell, run Get-Item and examine LinkType, Target, and LinkTarget. If those fields do not identify the object, use fsutil reparsepoint query to inspect its reparse data. A reported reparse point confirms special filesystem metadata, but you must read its type before calling it a symbolic link; junctions and other Windows features also use reparse points.
What you are trying to identify
A folder path can represent three different situations:
- Directory symbolic link: the path redirects directory access to another path. It is created with
mklink /d. - Directory junction: another kind of directory redirection implemented as an NTFS reparse point. It is created with
mklink /j. - Ordinary copy: an independent directory tree. Files at the copied path have their own directory entries and do not automatically follow changes made through a different path.
There is also a separate case that is easy to confuse with a folder link: hard-linked files. NTFS can give one file multiple names, but hard links cannot reference directories. A folder can therefore contain hard-linked files while the folder itself remains an ordinary directory, symbolic link, junction, or another type of object.
Fastest check: inspect the exact path in PowerShell
Open PowerShell and substitute the complete path you want to test:
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Get-Item -LiteralPath 'C:pathtofolder' | Format-List FullName,Attributes,LinkType,Target,LinkTarget-LiteralPath tells PowerShell to use the path exactly as written, so characters such as brackets are not treated as wildcard syntax. Get-Item asks for the filesystem object at that path rather than listing the objects inside it. Format-List displays the identity and link-related properties vertically, which makes a single result easier to read.
How to read the result
- Non-empty
LinkTypeand a target: strong evidence that the path is a link. The target identifies where the redirection leads. - Empty link fields: do not immediately conclude that the folder is an ordinary copy. Microsoft documents an AppX reparse-point case in which
LinkTypeandLinkTargetare empty even though the object has special reparse metadata. AttributescontainingReparsePoint: evidence that Windows has attached reparse metadata to the path. That status is broader than “symbolic link”; it can represent a junction, a volume mount point, or a filesystem-filter feature.
For example, output similar to this indicates a link target:
FullName : C:ProjectsCurrent
Attributes : Directory, ReparsePoint
LinkType : SymbolicLink
Target : D:ProjectsCurrent
LinkTarget : D:ProjectsCurrentAn ordinary copied directory normally has no link target and no reparse-point attribute. Because empty properties are not conclusive for every Windows-managed object, use the reparse query in the next section when the result is ambiguous.
Check the underlying reparse data with fsutil
From Command Prompt or PowerShell, run:
fsutil reparsepoint query "C:pathtofolder"Microsoft defines the query operation as retrieving reparse-point data associated with a named file or directory. The output includes a reparse tag and the data held by that point. Use it to answer two separate questions:
- Does this path have reparse metadata?
- What kind of reparse point does the tag and data describe?
A successful query that reports a tag confirms that the path is not just an unmarked directory entry. However, a reparse point is a general Windows mechanism. Directory junctions and volume mount points use it, and filesystem filters can use it for other purposes. Therefore, do not label every successful query “a symbolic link.” Match the reported tag and data to the documented object type.
If fsutil reports that no reparse point is present, the inspected path is not a directory symbolic link or junction represented by a reparse point. It may still be an ordinary directory, or the path may have been mistyped; verify the path with Get-Item -LiteralPath.
Inspect many entries beneath a parent folder
When you need to examine the immediate children of a directory rather than one known path, use Get-ChildItem:
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Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath 'C:pathtoparent' -Force |
Select-Object FullName,Attributes,LinkType,Target,LinkTargetThis produces one row per entry and includes hidden items because of -Force. The target columns are useful for spotting links among otherwise ordinary files and directories. As with Get-Item, treat a populated target as a clear indicator, but investigate blank fields when Attributes shows ReparsePoint or when the object is managed by an application package.
To inspect only directory entries in the immediate parent, add -Directory:
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Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath 'C:pathtoparent' -Directory -Force |
Select-Object FullName,Attributes,LinkType,Target,LinkTargetThis does not recursively inspect every descendant. It is a focused way to determine whether the entries directly inside one parent are links.
Find junctions anywhere in a directory tree
If your question is “does this tree contain junctions below its top-level folder?”, Microsoft Sysinternals Junction provides a recursive listing mode. After downloading the utility from Microsoft Sysinternals and placing the executable somewhere you can run it, use:
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junction -s "C:pathtoparent"The -s option scans recursively and lists junctions beneath the specified directory. This is useful for finding nested redirections that a check of only the root path would miss. The utility is an optional downloadable tool, not a built-in PowerShell cmdlet. Its listing is specifically oriented toward junction and reparse-point information; use PowerShell and fsutil when you need the broader set of object properties or exact reparse data.
Check for hard-linked files inside the folder
A hard link is not a directory shortcut. NTFS stores one file and allows multiple directory entries to refer to that same file. Editing through any of those names changes the same underlying file. Hard links cannot point to directories and cannot cross NTFS volumes.
To list every hard-link path for a particular file, run:
fsutil hardlink list "C:pathtofolderfile.txt"If the command returns more than one path, the file has multiple hard-link names. That result says nothing about whether C:pathtofolder itself is a link. Test the containing directory separately with Get-Item and, if needed, fsutil reparsepoint query.
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Use the correct test for each possible result
| What you found | What it means | How to verify |
|---|---|---|
| PowerShell shows a link type and target | The path is identified as a link by the filesystem provider; the target is the destination path exposed by PowerShell. | Record LinkType, Target, and LinkTarget; query reparse data if you need the low-level tag. |
Attributes includes ReparsePoint |
The path carries reparse metadata, but the mechanism may be a symbolic link, junction, mount point, or another filter-supported feature. | Run fsutil reparsepoint query "full path" and interpret its tag/data. |
| No link fields and no reparse indication | The inspected path is consistent with an ordinary directory copy. | Confirm that the exact path was queried and that you inspected the directory itself, not only files inside it. |
| Hard-link paths returned for a file | That file has multiple names referring to one underlying file; the containing folder is not thereby a hard link. | Use fsutil hardlink list on individual files and the directory tests above on the folder. |
| Nested junctions are the concern | The root folder may be ordinary while descendants redirect elsewhere. | Run junction -s "C:pathtoparent". |
A practical decision procedure
- Copy the exact folder path. In File Explorer, use the address bar or the folder’s properties to obtain the path, then quote it in commands. Testing a parent or a similarly named folder can produce a correct answer for the wrong object.
- Run the PowerShell inspection. Check
LinkType,Target,LinkTarget, andAttributes. - If a target is shown, classify the link. A symbolic-link type identifies a directory symbolic link. A junction type identifies a directory junction. Keep the destination path with your notes if you need to explain where the folder redirects.
- If the fields are blank but reparse status appears, query the point. Run
fsutil reparsepoint queryand use the tag/data to distinguish a junction, mount point, or another reparse feature. - If the root is ordinary but the contents are suspect, scan children. Use
Get-ChildItemfor direct children and the Sysinternalsjunction -soption for a recursive junction search. - If files appear to be shared, test the files themselves. Run
fsutil hardlink liston a file; do not infer a directory link from file-level hard links.
Why Explorer appearance is not enough
A copied folder and a redirected folder can contain the same names and look identical in File Explorer. A link can also point to a destination whose contents change over time, while a copy remains a separate tree after it is created. The visual layout therefore cannot establish the relationship between two paths. The distinction is stored in filesystem metadata and directory entries, which is why the commands above inspect the path itself.
Likewise, comparing file counts or timestamps is not a proof. A copy can happen to have matching contents, and a link can show the destination’s current contents. Metadata inspection answers whether the path is marked as a link; content comparison answers a different question about whether two trees currently contain similar files.
Symbolic links, junctions, and hard links in Windows syntax
Microsoft documents the general mklink form as:
mklink [[/d] | [/h] | [/j]] <link> <target>/dcreates a directory symbolic link./jcreates a directory junction./hcreates a hard link to a file.
This syntax is included to clarify the categories when you encounter an existing path. It is not necessary to create anything in order to inspect a folder, and running mklink with the wrong source or target can redirect applications unexpectedly. Use the read-only inspection commands first.
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Permissions, paths, and safe inspection
These checks are observational: they query metadata and do not create, delete, or convert links. Nevertheless, use a path you are authorized to inspect. Protected system folders, offline volumes, disconnected targets, and application-managed directories may return access or availability errors. An error is not evidence of a copy; first verify that the volume is mounted, the path is spelled correctly, and the account can read the directory metadata.
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Run the command against the directory entry you are evaluating, not a shortcut displayed in a parent window and not merely a child file. A relative path can also resolve somewhere different from what you expect, so an absolute path is best when documenting the result.
How to distinguish a link from a copy confidently
Use a layered conclusion rather than a visual guess:
- If PowerShell reports a populated target and link type, report the specific type shown.
- If PowerShell reports
ReparsePointbut leaves link properties blank, report that the path is a reparse point and inspectfsutiloutput before choosing a narrower label. - If the reparse query finds no point and the object has ordinary directory attributes, it is consistent with an independent directory tree.
- If only descendants show links, describe the root as ordinary with nested links rather than calling the entire tree a symbolic link.
This wording matters when you are preparing a backup, moving a profile, troubleshooting a game library, or auditing a build directory. A junction or symbolic link can cause a traversal to reach data outside the apparent parent. An ordinary copy cannot redirect access in that way, even if its current contents look identical.
Common mistakes and how to recover
Checking the contents instead of the folder object
Get-ChildItem C:pathtofolder lists what is inside the folder; it does not by itself identify the folder entry. Use Get-Item -LiteralPath on the folder path for the primary test.
Calling every reparse point a symbolic link
Reparse points are a family of mechanisms. A junction, volume mount point, or filter-managed object can all produce reparse metadata. Report the narrower type only after reading the PowerShell link type or the reparse tag/data.
Treating blank PowerShell properties as proof of a copy
Some Windows-managed reparse objects, including an AppX example documented by Microsoft, expose empty LinkType and LinkTarget values. When that happens, run the fsutil query and inspect Attributes before classifying the folder.
Assuming hard-linked files make a hard-linked folder
Hard links are file-level directory entries. The containing directory must be tested independently, because NTFS does not support hard links to directories.
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Scanning only the top level
A normal root directory can contain a junction several levels down. Use the recursive Junction command when the concern is the entire tree, then inspect any reported path individually if you need its target and exact metadata.
Comparing contents instead of metadata
Matching names, sizes, timestamps, or hashes can show that two trees currently contain similar data, but none of those observations proves that one path redirects to the other. Conversely, different contents do not prove that a path is a copy, because a link target may have changed. Check the directory entry first, then compare contents only if synchronization or backup is the separate question.
Assuming the root answer covers every descendant
A directory can be an ordinary directory while one child is a symbolic link or junction. Decide whether you need a root-path classification, an immediate-child inventory, or a recursive audit. Use the least broad command that answers the actual question, then expand the scan if needed.
Windows versions, tools, and cost
The Microsoft command references for fsutil reparsepoint, fsutil hardlink, and mklink list Windows 10 and Windows 11 applicability. The PowerShell property examples correspond to the version 7.4 Get-ChildItem documentation. Microsoft’s Win32 overview of hard links and junctions was updated July 8, 2025. The Sysinternals Junction tool page was updated September 29, 2022.
PowerShell, Command Prompt, fsutil, and mklink are Windows components, so the basic checks require no paid software or accessory. Junction is an optional downloadable Sysinternals utility. Download it from Microsoft, keep the executable in a known location, and use it only when a recursive junction listing is needed. Command output can vary for application-managed filesystem objects, so interpret the metadata shown on the particular machine rather than assuming every reparse point has the same PowerShell fields.
Minimal command checklist
- One folder:
Get-Item -LiteralPath 'C:pathtofolder' | Format-List FullName,Attributes,LinkType,Target,LinkTarget - Low-level reparse check:
fsutil reparsepoint query "C:pathtofolder" - Direct children:
Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath 'C:pathtoparent' -Directory -Force | Select-Object FullName,Attributes,LinkType,Target,LinkTarget - Recursive junction scan:
junction -s "C:pathtoparent" - Hard links for one file:
fsutil hardlink list "C:pathtofolderfile.txt"
Use the first command for a straightforward answer, the second when metadata is ambiguous, and the recursive or file-level commands only for the additional question you actually need to answer.
Frequently asked questions
Can File Explorer tell me whether a folder is a symbolic link?
Do not rely on the folder’s icon, name, or displayed contents. Explorer can make a copy and a redirected directory look alike. Query the exact path with PowerShell, then use fsutil reparsepoint query if the properties are inconclusive.
Is a junction the same thing as a symbolic link?
No. Both can redirect directory access, but Windows exposes them as different link categories. A directory symbolic link is associated with mklink /d; a directory junction is associated with mklink /j. Both may involve reparse metadata, so the presence of that metadata alone is not enough to name the type.
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It means PowerShell did not expose a target through that property for the object. It can be consistent with an ordinary directory, but Microsoft also documents application-managed reparse objects with empty link properties. Check Attributes and query the reparse data before deciding.
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Does a reparse point always mean the folder is a link?
No. Reparse points also support junctions, volume mount points, and other filesystem-filter behavior. Treat ReparsePoint as a flag for further inspection, not as a synonym for symbolic link.
Can a folder itself be hard-linked?
Not through NTFS hard links. Hard links apply to files and give one file multiple directory entries. A folder may contain hard-linked files, but that does not make the containing directory a hard link.
How do I find links below a folder?
Use Get-ChildItem for immediate children. For a recursive junction search, run junction -s "C:pathtoparent". Inspect each reported path separately if you need its exact target or link classification.
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No. The PowerShell, fsutil, and Junction commands described here inspect metadata or list paths. The mklink syntax is shown only to explain link categories; do not run it unless you intentionally want to create a link and have verified both paths.
What if the command says the path does not exist?
Check the spelling, drive letter, mounted volume, and quotation marks. Use an absolute path copied from Explorer and test it with Get-Item -LiteralPath. A missing or inaccessible path cannot be classified until Windows can open the directory entry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the quickest way to check one Windows folder?
Run Get-Item -LiteralPath 'C:pathtofolder' | Format-List FullName,Attributes,LinkType,Target,LinkTarget. A populated link type and target identify a link; a ReparsePoint attribute requires further interpretation.
How can I tell a junction from a symbolic link?
Use the PowerShell LinkType value when it is populated. If it is blank but ReparsePoint appears, run fsutil reparsepoint query and interpret the returned tag and data.
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No. NTFS hard links apply to files, not directories. Run fsutil hardlink list for the individual file and test the containing folder separately.
How do I scan an entire tree for junctions?
Install Microsoft Sysinternals Junction and run junction -s "C:pathtoparent". The -s option lists junctions recursively.
Are these checks free and built into Windows?
PowerShell, Command Prompt, fsutil, and mklink are Windows components. Sysinternals Junction is an optional free download from Microsoft.
The Bottom Line
Start with Get-Item -LiteralPath on the exact folder. A target and link type identify a symbolic link or junction; ReparsePoint means you must inspect the reparse tag before naming the mechanism. Use junction -s for nested junctions and fsutil hardlink list only for possible hard-linked files.
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