Can't delete folders/files within a symbolic link or junction mklink

I used mklink to create a symbolic link /d to a hard drive.


Now, even though I am the owner, confirmed by the "Take Ownership" process, I cannot delete files located in this symbolic link. For example, if I navigate to the link folder E:\Movies which points to my 14TB Movies hard drive F:\ and I try to delete a folder, I get an error "You'll need to provide administrator permission to delete this folder". When I go to Properties > Security and check the ownership, my user name is listed as owner.


I can however delete the individual files within this folder, but I cannot delete the folder itself. I tried this with both mklink /d and junction /j.

E:\ - Drive with symbolic link folder "Movies" which points to drive F:\
F:\ - 14TB hard drive containing media files


If I instead navigate directly to the hard drive and not through the symbolic link, I can delete anything I want.


Is there a setting or something that I am missing that is causing this? My intention was to create a symbolic link to this hard drive so that it would look like a folder within my Videos folder/library instead of a separate drive.


Any help is appreciated!

Hi,

Try to use SysInternals Junction Utiltity

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sys...loads/junction

MaloK said:

Hi,

Try to use SysInternals Junction Utiltity

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sys...loads/junction

Thanks for the suggestion, MaloK
I have downloaded the Junction.zip and extracted it, but I may need help learning how to use it.

I ran junction64.exe (as administrator) and did not see anything happen... I then opened cmd as administrator and tested the commands -
junction F:\Movies F:\000MoviesHDD

Received this error:
"'junction' is not recognized as an internal or external command,operable program or batch file."

Also, how is this different than the Windows mklink operation?

Hi,

Try to extract all exe in system32, it will give you direct access to the command across windows.

I just did the exercise you described and the link was created and works properly.

I don't know the difference between the method both uses. But I have never had write problem trough a link created with junction.exe

MaloK said:

Hi,

Try to extract all exe in system32, it will give you direct access to the command across windows.

I just did the exercise you described and the link was created and works properly.

I don't know the difference between the method both uses. But I have never had write problem trough a link created with junction.exe

Thanks again. After extracting to System32, i successfully created the juncion, but I'm getting the same error when I try to delete a folder. See the screenshot:


There is something going on with permissions and I can't for the life of me figure it out...

I tested out the regular mklink /d on my other laptop and I am able to write/delete in it just fine... but for some reason I get a permissions error on my desktop

Also, I have set the permissions for both the F:\000MoviesHDD and the new junction/symlink so that I am the owner of both:

Open an administrative cmd prompt: pls post back windows replies.

Code:

Net user YourUserName

And verify your local group membership.

Verify folder security on your target directory:

Code:

icacls F:\000MoviesHDD

Verify If there is no conflicting users / groups versus access permissions.

You can also compare with the security that is working on your other computer, see if it matches.

If this fails. Take ownership of the whole drive. Add:

Authenticated Users > Modify
SYSTEM > Full Control
Administrators > Full Control
YourUserName > Full Control

Apply and replace all inheritance.

After this, your security setup should be correct... It probably already is... And something in Windows seams to be broken.

Beyond this you can try to verify if there is no corrupted files in your installation.

Sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

And finally a Windows Refresh or In Place Upgrade should definitively fix it.

Refresh Windows 10
Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

Hope you get this sorted out before getting to this extend... Come back with anything you find that could help lead to a solution.

MaloK said:

Open an administrative cmd prompt: pls post back windows replies.

Code:

Net user YourUserName

Here are results from this step:

Local Groups: Administrators, Users

MaloK said:

And verify your local group membership.

Verify folder security on your target directory:

Code:

icacls F:\000MoviesHDD

Verify If there is no conflicting users / groups versus access permissions.

You can also compare with the security that is working on your other computer, see if it matches.

Results from this step:

I don't know what the different notes mean - (I) (OI) (CI) (F) etc

Results from the laptop working correctly. For this I created a symlink to my Documents D:\ hard drive

MaloK said:

If this fails. Take ownership of the whole drive. Add:

Authenticated Users > Modify
SYSTEM > Full Control
Administrators > Full Control
YourUserName > Full Control

Apply and replace all inheritance.

After this, your security setup should be correct... It probably already is... And something in Windows seams to be broken.

I had previously taken ownership with my user name "SMILLER" but I added "Authenticated Users" and "Administrators" to the list here:

I also performed this step on the symlink folder F:\Movies that I created where my user name is the Owner and I added Administrators and Authenticated Users, also with no luck.

MaloK said:

Beyond this you can try to verify if there is no corrupted files in your installation.

Sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

I also tried this step with no luck. After all of these suggestions I am still getting this error when I try to delete a folder through the symlink:

It still says I need permission from SMILLLER

MaloK said:

And finally a Windows Refresh or In Place Upgrade should definitively fix it.

Refresh Windows 10
Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

Hope you get this sorted out before getting to this extend... Come back with anything you find that could help lead to a solution.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I would love to get your thoughts on the results above before resorting to a refresh or repair install of Windows. Both of those processes remove installed apps, yes?

- - - Updated - - -

sygnus21 said:

@bteamstephen;

I hate to ask, but did you click "Continue" in that notification? I've had instances where I'll get that box, then I hit Continue and it proceeds. Not always, but most of the time.

Just double checking

Outside of the above, I have no suggestions on your issue.

I appreciate your response, as sometimes I may not see the clear answer right in front of my nose.

When I click Continue, it still doesn't allow me to delete and says that I need permission from SMILLER, which is my user name:
Interestingly, If I go inside the folder and delete the media file itself, it hangs for about 15 seconds and then it deletes. But then I go up one folder level and I still can't delete the containing folder.

Thanks for following.

Can you also post a

Code:

icacls F:\

From your problematic PC

MaloK said:

Thanks for following.

Can you also post a

Code:

icacls F:\

From your problematic PC

Sure, here you go: