Hard Link — Windows

fsutil hardlink list "file.txt" Or with PowerShell:

Most Windows users think a file exists in exactly one place. Double-click a file in C:\Documents\Report.docx , and you assume that's the only copy on disk. windows hard link

But Windows has a secret: the . With a hard link, a single file can appear in multiple folders simultaneously, without duplicating any data. Change one, and the others update instantly. Delete one, and the others remain untouched. fsutil hardlink list "file

echo Hello > original.txt mklink /H link.txt original.txt type link.txt # Output: Hello echo World >> original.txt type link.txt # Output: Hello World /H is the crucial flag—without it, mklink creates a symbolic link by default. New-Item -ItemType HardLink -Path "C:\links\link.txt" -Target "C:\data\original.txt" Or with the shorter alias: With a hard link, a single file can

A symlink is like a sticky note that says "go look in C:\Other\file.txt" . If you move or delete file.txt , the symlink breaks.