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A broken symbolic link usually means Windows can no longer find the path stored in the link. First confirm where the target is now and whether the link is for a file or a directory. If the target was moved or renamed, either restore it to the original path or remove only the stale link and recreate it with mklink. Use mklink /d for a directory symbolic link and plain mklink for a file symbolic link.
What a broken symbolic link means
A symbolic link is a filesystem entry that contains a path to another file or directory. It does not contain a second copy of the target and cannot make a deleted or unavailable target reappear. When Windows follows the stored path and that path no longer resolves, the link appears broken.
Common causes include a target folder being renamed, a file being moved, a drive receiving a different letter, a disconnected network share, or a containing folder being moved when the link uses a relative path. These are diagnostic possibilities, not a claim about how often any one cause occurs.
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Quick decision: restore the target or rebuild the link
- The target still exists at the original path: inspect the link type and the surrounding folders. A relative link may be resolving from a changed context.
- The target exists at a new path: remove the old link and recreate it to the new path, or move the target back if other software depends on the old location.
- The target was deleted: restore the target from an appropriate backup or application recovery process before rebuilding the link.
- The drive, share, or filesystem feature is unavailable: restore that dependency first. Recreating the same link repeatedly will not repair a disconnected drive or an unavailable filter.
Do not delete anything until you have confirmed which path is the link and which path is the target. A command aimed at the target can remove real data.
Understand the link type before changing it
Windows supports several link-like objects, and their repair commands are not interchangeable. Microsoft’s mklink reference distinguishes the following forms:
| Object | How it is created | Important constraint or behavior |
|---|---|---|
| File symbolic link | mklink "link" "target" |
Plain mklink creates a file symbolic link by default. |
| Directory symbolic link | mklink /d "link" "target-folder" |
The /d switch creates a directory symbolic link. |
| Hard link | mklink /h "link" "target" |
Microsoft documents hard links as file links within the same volume. |
| Directory junction | mklink /j "link" "target-folder" |
Microsoft describes junctions as directory links with different constraints from symbolic links. |
A junction, hard link, or application-managed reparse point may look similar in Explorer but needs different reasoning. Microsoft’s Hard Links and Junctions documentation describes their behavior and target restrictions. Treat the object as an ordinary symbolic link only after inspection identifies it as one.
Step 1: verify the target path
Check in File Explorer
- Open the folder that contains the link.
- Note the link’s exact name and whether it is intended to represent a file or a folder.
- Browse to the target’s expected location. Look for a spelling change, a renamed parent folder, a different drive letter, or a disconnected network location.
- If the target is on removable or network storage, reconnect the storage or share and confirm that the path is reachable before changing the link.
If the target is present at its original location but the link still fails, do not assume the target is the problem. Check whether the link is relative and whether its containing directory was moved.
Check paths from Command Prompt
Open Command Prompt and use quoted paths whenever a name contains spaces. You can test a candidate target by changing to its parent directory or listing it:
dir "D:currentpathtotarget.txt"
dir "D:currentpathtotarget-folder"A successful listing confirms that Windows can currently resolve that path. It does not prove that the existing link points there; it only establishes a path you may use when rebuilding the link.
Account for relative links
Relative symbolic links do not start from a drive root. Their target is interpreted relative to the link’s path context. Microsoft documents that .. components replace preceding path components during resolution and that relative symbolic links are restricted to a single volume. If a project directory, parent folder, or the link itself moved, the same relative text can now lead somewhere else.
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For a relative link, record both the link’s location and the target text before deciding how to repair it. Restoring the original directory layout may fix the link without recreating it. If that layout is intentionally changing, an absolute target may be easier to maintain, provided its drive or network location is stable.
Step 2: identify the link in Command Prompt
List directory links
In the directory that contains the suspected folder link, run:
dir /ALThis lists directory links. Compare the displayed link name with the object you intend to repair.
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Inspect file entries
For a suspected file link, list the directory entries with:
dir /AUse the output together with the object’s expected file-or-directory role. The mklink form used later must match the target: plain mklink for a file symbolic link and mklink /d for a directory symbolic link.
Do not confuse reparse points with ordinary symbolic links
Windows uses reparse points for several filesystem features. Microsoft’s Reparse Points documentation explains that a reparse tag identifies the data type and that an open operation can fail when the filesystem filter associated with that tag is unavailable. If the object belongs to a synchronization, storage, or other filesystem feature, investigate that owning feature instead of repeatedly recreating a normal link.
Step 3: remove only the stale link
Use the link path, not the target path. Removing the link should leave an existing target untouched.
Remove a directory symbolic link
rd "C:pathtolink-folder"Microsoft’s mklink examples use rd to remove a directory symbolic link. Confirm the path names the link itself before pressing Enter.
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del "C:pathtolink-file"The file-link example in Microsoft’s documentation uses del. Check the command line carefully: substituting the target path would delete the target rather than the link.
Why you should not use recursive removal casually
Do not use rmdir /s or rd /s as a routine link-removal command. Microsoft’s rmdir documentation states that /s removes a directory tree, including its files and subdirectories. That is a data-deletion operation, not a narrowly scoped way to replace a link.
Step 4: recreate the link with the corrected target
After the stale link is gone, recreate it from an elevated or otherwise permitted Command Prompt as required by your Windows configuration. The two paths are separate arguments: first the new link path, then the target path.
Recreate a file symbolic link
mklink "C:pathtolink-file" "D:currentpathtotarget.txt"Use the full current target path if you want the link to resolve independently of later changes to its parent directory.
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mklink /d "C:pathtolink-folder" "D:currentpathtotarget-folder"The /d switch is essential for a directory symbolic link. Without it, mklink creates a file symbolic link by default.
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Use a relative target deliberately
mklink "C:projectcurrentlink.txt" "..sharedtarget.txt"
mklink /d "C:projectcurrentassets" "..sharedassets"Relative links can make a self-contained directory tree portable, but their meaning depends on the containing path. Keep the link and target on the same volume, and do not move either directory without checking the relationship again.
Point to a remote UNC target
Microsoft documents that Windows symbolic links can point to remote files or directories by UNC path. For example:
mklink /d "C:teamshared" "\servershareshared-folder"The network share must be available whenever the link is used. A disconnected share can make a valid link appear broken even though its stored path has not changed.
Confirm that the repair worked
- Run
diron the link path and confirm that the expected entry exists. - Open the link from File Explorer or list a known file inside it from Command Prompt.
- Check that applications using the link can read and, where appropriate, write the target.
- If the link resolves but points to the wrong location, remove it again and verify the target argument rather than modifying files inside the target.
A successful mklink command establishes the link object; it does not guarantee that a remote share will remain connected or that an application has permission to use the target.
Troubleshoot creation and access errors
“The system cannot find the path specified”
- Recheck the spelling, drive letter, and quotation marks in both arguments.
- Confirm that the target parent directory exists and that a network share is connected.
- For a relative target, verify the link’s parent directory and the number of
..components. - Make sure you are using
/dfor a directory target and the file form for a file target.
The link name already exists
The old link or another real file or directory still occupies the link path. Inspect the path before removing anything. If it is the stale link, remove it with rd for a directory link or del for a file link. If it is real content, move or back it up only after confirming that replacing it is safe.
Access is denied
Windows privilege and policy behavior can vary by system configuration. Recheck the exact path and open Command Prompt in the context permitted by your organization’s policy. Do not work around a security control by deleting unrelated objects or changing permissions broadly; obtain the required administrative approval if the machine is managed.
The link exists, but opening it still fails
Check the target independently, then check the link’s path context. If the target is reachable and the object is a reparse point managed by another feature, inspect that feature rather than replacing it with a generic symbolic link. A missing filesystem filter can prevent an open operation even when the path text appears unchanged.
Advanced inspection with fsutil
When ordinary path checks do not explain the failure, query the reparse-point data:
fsutil reparsepoint query "C:pathtolink"Microsoft’s fsutil reparsepoint documentation describes this operation as retrieving the reparse-point data. The output can help distinguish a normal symbolic-link tag from another filesystem feature.
Microsoft also documents:
fsutil reparsepoint delete "C:pathtolink"This deletes the reparse point without deleting the file or directory itself. It is an advanced operation; Microsoft notes that the command is typically used by support professionals. Confirm the object and its tag before using it, and prefer the ordinary rd or del method when you have identified a standard symbolic link.
Quick Recap
Choose the repair method by situation
| Situation | Preferred action | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Target moved or was renamed | Restore it to the old path or recreate the link to its new path | The stored relationship still references the old location. |
| Relative link’s parent directory moved | Restore the original layout or rebuild the link with an intentional relative or absolute target | Relative resolution depends on path context. |
| Drive letter changed | Restore the expected drive mapping or recreate the link using the current path | An absolute path containing the old drive letter no longer resolves. |
| Network share is offline | Reconnect the share and test the existing link | Recreating a link cannot substitute for an unavailable UNC target. |
| Object is a junction or hard link | Identify its type and follow the corresponding filesystem constraints | These are not interchangeable with symbolic links. |
| Reparse-point filter is unavailable | Repair or restore the owning filesystem feature | The failure may be caused by the filter, not by a wrong target path. |
Prevent the next broken link
- Document whether each link is a file link, directory link, junction, or hard link.
- Record whether the target is absolute, relative, local, cross-volume, or a UNC path.
- When reorganizing folders, search for links whose relative context depends on the old layout.
- Keep network shares and removable volumes assigned consistently if links depend on them.
- Before deleting or renaming a target, identify applications and scripts that may follow its link.
- Keep a copy of the exact link and target paths so a replacement command can be reviewed before execution.
Command reference
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| List directory links | dir /AL |
| List directory entries | dir /A |
| Remove a directory symbolic link | rd "C:pathtolink-folder" |
| Remove a file symbolic link | del "C:pathtolink-file" |
| Create a file symbolic link | mklink "C:pathtolink-file" "D:pathtotarget.txt" |
| Create a directory symbolic link | mklink /d "C:pathtolink-folder" "D:pathtotarget-folder" |
| Query reparse data | fsutil reparsepoint query "C:pathtolink" |
| Remove a reparse point without deleting the object | fsutil reparsepoint delete "C:pathtolink" |
Official Windows references
- Microsoft Learn: mklink (updated February 3, 2023; applies to Windows 10 and Windows 11).
- Microsoft Learn: fsutil reparsepoint (updated November 1, 2024; applies to Windows 10 and Windows 11).
- Microsoft Learn: Creating Symbolic Links (updated September 19, 2024).
- Microsoft Learn: Hard Links and Junctions.
- Microsoft Learn: Reparse Points.
- Microsoft Learn: rmdir.
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