Symlinks – The Key to Streamlining Your Workflow

A symbolic link, also known as a symlink, is a type of file that functions as a shortcut to another file or directory on your Windows system. This is not the same as an actual Windows shortcut; a symlink preserves the existing directory structure. A symlink allows you to create a path that redirects to the location of another file or directory, without actually moving the original file. This feature can improve your personal efficiency by allowing you to access files from multiple locations without duplicating them, or have a single directory containing all your configuration files for software regardless of whether or not a particular piece of software allows moving where configuration files are stored.

Creating a symlink to frequently used files

Do you have files in a directory that you frequently use, but are scattered in different locations which cannot be moved? You can create a symlink to the directory and place the link in a location that is easily accessible, such as your desktop. To create a symlink to a directory, open the Command Prompt as an administrator (or if you’re using Linux, the terminal) and enter the following command based on your operating system:

Windows: mklink /J "C:\example\symlink_directory\" "D:\example2\original_directory” 

Linux: ln -s “/mnt/example/original_directory” “/home/user/example/symlink_directory”

For example, if you have a program that stores data in C:\ProgramData, and you want to redirect the data to D:\ProgramData, you would (after moving all current data to D:\ProgramData) enter the following command in the Command Prompt:

mklink /J "C:\ProgramData" "D:\ProgramData"

Once you have created the symlink, the program will store its data in D:\ProgramData, even though it appears to be stored in C:\ProgramData. It’s important that you do NOT rename the destination directory if programs are supposed to read the symlink as if it was the original directory.

If you use multiple computers and want to keep your files in sync, you can use symlinks to redirect the files to a location that is accessible from all of your computers. For example, you could have a directory that is linked to a OneDrive or Google Drive account, and symlinks which point to the directory. This can serve as a workaround for backing up information that otherwise will not be automatically backed up.

Symlinks are a powerful and arguably underappreciated function of a modern operating system; learning how to properly utilize them is a simple way to enhance your daily workstation experience.