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Remove the symbolic-link path, not the path it points to. In Command Prompt, use del "C:pathtofile-link" for a file symbolic link and rmdir "C:pathtodirectory-link" (or rd) for a directory symbolic link. These commands delete the link entry you name; they do not target the original file or directory. Check the path carefully before pressing Enter, and do not add /s to a directory-link removal command.
Choose the command from the link type
Windows treats file links and directory links differently at the command line. The correct command is determined by what the link represents, not by the location of its target.
| Link type | Removal command | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| File symbolic link | del "C:pathtofile-link" |
The quoted path must be the link name, not the original file path. |
| Directory symbolic link | rmdir "C:pathtodirectory-link" or rd "C:pathtodirectory-link" |
Use the directory link’s path. Do not use /s when you only want to remove the link. |
| Directory junction | rmdir "C:pathtojunction" |
Treat the junction as a directory link for this operation; avoid recursive options. |
Microsoft documents rd and rmdir as equivalent command names. Its mklink documentation shows a directory symbolic link being removed with rd and a hard link being removed with del. Microsoft Q&A also distinguishes the del workflow for a file symbolic link from the directory-link workflow.
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Understand what you are deleting
A symbolic link is a separate directory entry
A symbolic link is a filesystem entry that redirects access to another file or directory. The link has its own path, while the original object has a different target path. To remove only the link, every command in this article names the link path.
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For example, suppose C:ProjectsCurrentreadme.txt is the original file and C:ProjectsShortcutreadme.txt is a file symbolic link. The safe removal command is:
del "C:ProjectsShortcutreadme.txt"Do not substitute C:ProjectsCurrentreadme.txt. That would name the original file instead of the link.
File and directory links use different commands
del is the file-removal command used for a file symbolic link. rd and rmdir are directory-removal commands used for a directory symbolic link or junction. A directory symbolic link is created with mklink /d; a file symbolic link is created by mklink without the /d switch.
Junctions are a related directory-link case
mklink /j creates a directory junction. Microsoft support guidance groups junctions with directory links for removal, so use rmdir (or rd) and name the junction itself. Do not turn the operation into a recursive directory deletion.
Pre-removal safety check
Take a moment to establish the exact link path before running a command. This is the most important protection against deleting the wrong object.
- Write down the link path. Use the path displayed where the link is located, such as
C:ProjectsShortcutreadme.txtorC:ProjectsShortcut. - Write down the target path separately. Keep it for comparison, but do not place it in the removal command.
- Decide whether the link represents a file or a directory. A file link takes
del; a directory link or junction takesrmdirorrd. - Quote paths containing spaces. Quotation marks make the entire Windows path one command argument, for example
rmdir "C:Team FilesShared Link". - Review the command character by character. Confirm the drive letter, folders, link name, and extension before execution.
Step-by-step: remove a file symbolic link
1. Open Command Prompt
Run the command in a Command Prompt window. You do not need to change to the link’s directory if you provide its full path.
2. Use the link path with del
Replace the example with the path of the file link:
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del "C:pathtofile-link"For a real-looking example:
del "C:UsersAveryDesktopreports-current.xlsx"The name after del is the link entry on the Desktop. It must not be replaced with the original workbook’s location.
3. Check the result
After the command completes, check the directory that contained the link. The link entry should no longer be present, while the original path remains the one you preserved. If the command reports that the path cannot be found, stop and recheck spelling, drive letter, extension, and whether the entry is actually a directory link.
Step-by-step: remove a directory symbolic link
1. Confirm that the named entry is the directory link
Use the directory link’s own path, not the directory shown as its destination. For example, if C:WorkAssets- shortcut redirects to D:ArchiveAssets, the command must name C:WorkAssets- shortcut.
2. Run rmdir or rd
rmdir "C:pathtodirectory-link"The equivalent abbreviated command is:
rd "C:pathtodirectory-link"Microsoft’s mklink example uses rd to remove a directory symbolic link. Choose either spelling; they perform the same directory-removal operation.
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For a link-only removal, the command should end after the quoted link path. Do not append /s or /q:
rmdir "C:pathtodirectory-link"Microsoft documents rmdir syntax as rmdir [<drive>:]<path> [/s [/q]]. The /s switch deletes the specified directory tree and its files. The /q switch suppresses confirmation when used with /s. Those options are designed for removing a directory tree, not for the narrow task of removing a directory link while preserving its target.
Step-by-step: remove a junction
A junction is created with mklink /j and represents a directory link. Use the junction’s path with rmdir:
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rmdir "C:Legacy AppsData"If the junction path contains spaces, retain the quotation marks. Do not use /s, because the objective is to remove the junction entry rather than request recursive deletion of a directory tree.
How mklink identifies each kind of link
Understanding the creation syntax helps you classify an existing entry when you know how it was made. Microsoft Learn describes mklink as creating a directory or file symbolic or hard link.
mklink form |
Link produced | Removal command for this workflow |
|---|---|---|
mklink <link> <target> |
File symbolic link by default | del "<link>" |
mklink /d <link> <target> |
Directory symbolic link | rmdir "<link>" or rd "<link>" |
mklink /h <link> <target> |
Hard link | Microsoft’s example uses del "<link>" |
mklink /j <link> <target> |
Directory junction | rmdir "<link>" or rd "<link>" |
The syntax places the link argument before the target argument. That ordering is useful when reviewing an old command or script: the first path is the name you would remove, and the second path is the object it redirects to.
The Microsoft Learn page lists Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025 among its applicable versions. Command behavior can still depend on the exact entry and path, so classify the link before choosing the command.
Examples you can adapt
File link with spaces in its path
del "C:UsersJordanDesktopTeam Reportslatest.csv"Here, latest.csv is the link name. The quotation marks cover the spaces in Team Reports.
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Directory link with spaces
rmdir "C:UsersJordanDocumentsShared Workspace"Use this form when Shared Workspace is the directory link entry. Do not replace it with the destination directory’s path.
Short command name
rd "D:ProjectsCurrent Build"rd is simply the shorter equivalent of rmdir. The path still has to identify the link.
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Common mistakes and how to correct them
Deleting the target path by accident
Symptom: You copied the destination shown by the link and placed that path after del or rmdir.
Correction: Stop before running the command. Compare the path after the command with the location where the link entry appears. The command must name the link itself. Keep the target path out of the command.
Using del on a directory link
Symptom: The entry is a directory symbolic link or junction, but the command begins with del.
Correction: Use rmdir or rd for directory links and junctions. Reserve del for the file-link case described above.
Using rmdir /s for a link-only task
Symptom: A recursive switch was added because the link opens like a folder.
Correction: Remove /s and run only rmdir "link-path". Microsoft defines /s as deleting the specified directory tree and its files, which is broader than removing one link entry.
Adding /q without understanding what it does
Symptom: The command includes /q to make the operation “safer” or faster.
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Correction: Leave it out for this task. Microsoft documents /q as suppressing confirmation when it is used with /s; it is not needed for the simple directory-link command.
Omitting quotation marks
Symptom: The link path contains spaces and Command Prompt interprets only the first part as the path.
Correction: Enclose the complete path in double quotation marks:
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Symptom: You know the entry is linked but cannot decide between del and rmdir.
Correction: Determine whether the link represents a file or a directory. The /d form of mklink creates a directory symbolic link; no switch creates a file symbolic link; /j creates a directory junction. Apply the matching command from the table.
A practical decision tree
- Is the entry a file link? Run
del "link-path". - Is the entry a directory symbolic link? Run
rmdir "link-path"orrd "link-path". - Is the entry a directory junction? Run
rmdir "link-path"orrd "link-path". - Are you unsure which path is the link? Do not run a deletion command yet. Separate the link path from the target path using the original
mklinkcommand, documentation, or the location where the link entry is shown. - Does the path contain spaces? Put the entire link path in double quotation marks.
- Are you tempted to add
/sor/q? Leave both out for link-only removal.
What to do when the command does not work
“The system cannot find the file specified”
Check that the path is the link’s current location. Verify the drive letter, every folder name, the extension, and the link name. A stale path or a typo prevents Command Prompt from finding the entry; changing to the target path will not solve that problem because the target is not the object you intend to remove.
The command treats the path as a directory when it is a file
Reclassify the link. A file symbolic link uses del; a directory symbolic link or junction uses rmdir or rd. Re-enter the command with the link path and the matching command.
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The link opens a large directory and you are worried about its contents
Do not browse from that concern into a recursive deletion command. The risk comes from naming the wrong path or adding a tree-removal switch. Confirm the link path, omit /s, and use the non-recursive directory-link command.
Reference: Microsoft command behavior
Microsoft’s mklink reference defines the link-creation syntax, identifies the /d, /h, and /j options, and demonstrates removing a directory symbolic link with rd. The rmdir reference documents rd and rmdir as equivalent and explains that /s removes a directory tree while /q suppresses confirmation when paired with /s. A Microsoft Q&A response provides the practical file-link distinction: use del for a file symbolic link and directory removal commands for directory links.
Final checklist before pressing Enter
- The command names the link path, not the target path.
delis used only for a file symbolic link in this workflow.rmdirorrdis used for a directory symbolic link or junction.- The complete path is enclosed in quotes when it contains spaces.
/sand/qare absent from the link-only directory command.- The path has been checked for the correct drive, folders, name, and extension.
Once those checks pass, execute the command that names the link entry. Removing that entry is the Windows procedure for getting rid of the symbolic link while leaving the original path outside the command.
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