The syntax is straightforward but powerful:

mklink Link Target For example, mklink /D C:\Projects\Data D:\Data creates a directory symlink, making the folder D:\Data appear as if it resides inside C:\Projects .

At its core, a symbolic link (or symlink) is a special file that acts as a pointer to another file or directory. Think of it as a shortcut, but one that operates at the file system level. Unlike a .lnk shortcut, which is a simple file interpreted by Windows Explorer, a symlink is transparent to applications. When a program opens a symlink, Windows silently redirects it to the target. This allows a file to appear in two locations simultaneously without consuming extra disk space.