Using/understanding junctions and links

txmxer · 20 Oct 2018

My question is about understanding what a junction or link means. Short version first, longer second.

This link:

Using/understanding junctions and links-link1.jpg

Properties indicates "backup" is a folder is on the C: drive and is 156 GB (C: is a 110 GB SSD).

Using/understanding junctions and links-link2.jpg

The properties for the files show the C: drive location as well.

So, if the path for the link does not show in properties and the file/folder size is clearly too larger to actually exist on the C: drive, how do I determine where the files are actually located?

Long Version/additional details

~2 years ago, I wanted to relocate my iPhone backup folder to a larger data drive.

At some point--between Windows updates and iTunes updates, the link/junction isn't working properly.

I know there are options I could follow for moving the USERS directory or creating links and such to allow me to relocate the backup and get things working again.

Before I do that, I thought I'd like to try to figure out what has happened so I can either avoid it in the future or do something different, plus locate/relocate the existing backups. Right now, I just need to know how to decipher this junction since the information doesn't seem to show up in Properties.

As a long time Windows and before that DOS user, I hate using iTunes, but it is what it is. Kind of stuck with it for now.

thanks, Mike

AndreTen · 20 Oct 2018

Hi txmxer and welcome to Tenforums.

Check this tutorials on Seven forums.

MKLINK – Create and Use Links in Windows

Howto Geek also have nice Guide:

The Complete Guide to Creating Symbolic Links (aka Symlinks) on Windows

Think it still working in same way. You'll have to provide some more info about what is going wrong. Not very clear from your post.

lx07 · 20 Oct 2018

txmxer said:

Right now, I just need to know how to decipher this junction since the information doesn't seem to show up in Properties

Windows doesn't cope well with any kind of links so it isn't surprising properties are displayed wrong. I'd avoid them in future if you can. Anyway, junctions and symlinks are also not the same - see here

Assuming both directories are local though you could try dir /a.

If it is a junction it will tell you the path, if it is a symlink or hardlink it will just tell you the name which may be enough to find it.

As a test I made one of each...

Code:

C:\Temp>mklink /j c:\temp2\Junction "Original Junction"
Junction created for c:\temp2\Junction <<===>> Original Junction

C:\Temp>mklink /d c:\temp2\Link "Original Link"
symbolic link created for c:\temp2\Link <<===>> Original Link

C:\Temp>mklink /h c:\temp2\File "Original File.txt"
Hardlink created for c:\temp2\File <<===>> Original File.txt

Here you can see path for the junction with dir /a

Code:

C:\Temp>dir /a c:\temp2
 Volume in drive C is MacWindows
 Volume Serial Number is 3077-255A

 Directory of c:\temp2

20/10/2018  22:17    <DIR>          .
20/10/2018  22:17    <DIR>          ..
20/10/2018  22:16                 0 File
20/10/2018  22:13    <JUNCTION>     Junction [C:\Temp\Original Junction]
20/10/2018  22:13    <SYMLINKD>     Link [Original Link]

With powershell you can find the path for a hard link too

Code:

PS C:\temp2> ls | where target | select FullName, Target

FullName          Target
--------          ------
C:\temp2\Junction {C:\Temp\Original Junction}
C:\temp2\Link     {Original Link}
C:\temp2\File     {C:\Temp\Original File.txt}


PS C:\temp2>

I don't know how to identify symlink path but perhaps you don't need to.