How can I create a directory symbolic link on Windows Server 2003?

I'm trying to create a directory symbolic link under Windows Server 2003 but I'm not having any luck.

I've tried junction.exe (Sysinternals), ln.exe, and linkd.exe (Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit).

I'd like c:\folder\subfolder to link to \fileserver\realSubfolder

This works perfectly fine under Windows 7 (using mklink.exe) but I can't get this to work under Windows Server 2003.

Can anybody help me out?

SofaKng

Posted 2011-11-08T18:15:22.827

Reputation: 1 065

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP are very similar, so maybe some of these will help: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/90121/symlink-in-windows-xp

– RobinJ – 2011-11-08T18:19:53.427

Answers

You can't. Directory symlinks were introduced in Windows Vista. The closest analog is directory reparse points (aka junctions), which the Systinternals Junction tool you referenced can create.

Chris Smith

Posted 2011-11-08T18:15:22.827

Reputation: 281

Are you sure? I'm looking at the Sysinternals page for Junction.exe (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896768) and it says that "Windows 2000 and higher supports directory symbolic links"?

– SofaKng – 2011-11-08T20:18:12.253

I think that's just a conflict in terminology. Reparse points used to be the closest thing Windows had to symbolic links, until they added a new feature actually called symbolic links in Vista. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolic_link#Microsoft_Windows

– Chris Smith – 2011-11-09T14:09:10.653

Maybe the problem is that the group policy doesn't allow you to use directory symbolic links on network paths, for security reasons.

Check it here: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\NTFS File System\Selectively Allow The Evaluation Of A SymbolicLink

Raven Seldon

Posted 2011-11-08T18:15:22.827

Reputation: 21

Junctions won't support UNC paths. It only resolves for local paths.

Junctions are a subset of reparse points, so the same restriction applies also.

Starting with Vista, you can create symlinks, which will resolve to a remote path. They will even let you daisy chain symlinks with remote paths.

surfasb

Posted 2011-11-08T18:15:22.827

Reputation: 21 453

You can, please see my response to this similar question over at stackoverflow - https://stackoverflow.com/a/18593425/18475

ferventcoder

Posted 2011-11-08T18:15:22.827

Reputation: 2 959