Creating symbolic links on MS Windows

If you've ever worked on Unix or Linux computers then you'll appreciate the power of creating symbolic links (virtual links). This is similar to Shortcuts, but a symbolic link actually lists the files and folders as if they were in the local folder.

This is useful for backing up files that are actually located all over your HDD. You just point your backup program to a single location and create symbolic links (or junctions) in that single folder.

Thanks to Mark Russinovich for this program. See here for more and to download his program [45KB]: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896768.aspx

Examples (from the above page):

Usage: [-s]
-s    Recurse subdirectories

Examples:
To determine if a file is a junction, specify the file name:
junction c:\test

To list junctions beneath a directory, include the –s switch:
junction -s c:\

To create a junction c:\Program-Files-IsAJunction for "c:\Program Files":
C:\>md Program-Files-IsAJunction

C:\>junction c:\Program-Files-IsAJunction "c:\Program Files"

To delete a junction, use the –d switch:
junction -d c:\Program-Files-IsAJunction