fsutil hardlink list "file.txt" Or with PowerShell:
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.
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. windows hard link
A hard link doesn't point to a path —it points directly to the raw data on disk. That data has no location except "wherever Windows put it." Junction points are volume-mounted directory links (only for folders, only local drives). They behave like symlinks for folders but have fewer features. Hard links don't work on folders at all in Windows (NTFS supports them, but Windows restricts creation for safety). Creating Hard Links on Windows Windows provides two built-in ways: mklink (Command Prompt) and New-Item (PowerShell). Using Command Prompt (Run as Administrator for some operations, but not strictly required for files) mklink /H LinkName TargetFile Example:
fsutil hardlink list "link.txt" Or in PowerShell: fsutil hardlink list "file
ni link.txt -ItemType HardLink -Target original.txt To confirm you've created a hard link (and not a copy or symlink), check the link count :
mklink /H "C:\LegacyApp\config.ini" "D:\SharedConfig\config.ini" Now the legacy app and your modern tool share the same config. When using WSL, files stored in \\wsl$\ are actually on a virtual filesystem. Hard links don't work across the Linux/Windows boundary, but within a Windows NTFS drive, hard links are fully supported. Useful for deduplicating build artifacts between WSL and native Windows tools. Critical Limitations and Dangers ❌ No Directories Windows explicitly blocks creating hard links to directories (NTFS supports them, but Windows disables it to prevent infinite recursion and other filesystem nightmares). Delete one, and the others remain untouched
(Get-Item "link.txt").LinkType # Output: HardLink In File Explorer, hard links appear as normal files—there's no special icon or overlay. This is both a feature (no clutter) and a danger (easy to forget they're linked). 1. Deduplication Without Deduplication Features You have the same large ISO file needed in three different project folders. Instead of using 6 GB, create hard links: