Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-19

How to Fix: Error using mklink to create a 'virtual' folder

Error using mklink to create a virtual folder redirect.

Quick Answer: The issue is that mklink creates a symbolic link, not a directory. Use mklink /J instead of /D to create a junction point.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 🔍 Why This Happens
  2. ✅ Best Solutions to Fix It
  3. ✨ Wrapping Up

The error 'The name of the file cannot be resolved by the system' occurs when using mklink to create a symbolic link in Windows. This issue affects users who want to redirect one directory to another, but are unable to do so due to a fundamental misunderstanding of how symbolic links work.

This error can be frustrating for users who rely on mklink for folder redirection, as it prevents them from achieving their desired outcome. In this guide, we will walk you through the root causes of this issue and provide two primary methods to resolve it.

🔍 Why This Happens

  • The primary reason why this error happens is that mklink creates a junction point, not a symbolic link. A junction point is a type of file system alias that allows one directory path to be mapped to another. However, Windows does not support creating junction points in the same way as Unix-based systems. Specifically, mklink /D only works for directories and does not create actual symbolic links.
  • An alternative reason for this error could be due to insufficient permissions or incorrect usage of mklink. If you are running the command prompt as an administrator, ensure that the target directory (e:\Audio) exists and is accessible.

✅ Best Solutions to Fix It

Using junction points

  1. Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator and navigate to the directory where you want to create the junction point (c:\Audio). Type the following command: mklink /J c:\Audio e:\\Audio. This will create a junction point from c:\Audio to e:\\Audio.
  2. Step 2: Verify that the junction point has been created successfully by checking the properties of the c:\Audio directory in File Explorer. You should see an entry for 'e:\\Audio' under the Properties tab.
  3. Step 3: To access the redirected directory (e:\\\Audio), navigate to c:\Audio and press Enter. Windows will redirect you to e:\\Audio.

Using symbolic links

  1. Step 1: Unfortunately, mklink /D does not support creating actual symbolic links in Windows. However, you can use the mklink command with the /J option to create junction points (as described in Method 1).

✨ Wrapping Up

To resolve the 'The name of the file cannot be resolved by the system' error when using mklink, try creating a junction point instead of an actual symbolic link. If you are unable to do so, consider alternative methods such as using a third-party utility or exploring other folder redirection solutions.

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