The order is link first, target second – unlike ln -s on Linux ( ln -s target link ). This is a common source of confusion.
Think of it as creating a "magical" shortcut that the operating system and applications treat as the actual file or folder . cmd mklink
This guide should give you everything you need to master mklink on Windows. Start with simple tests on your desktop – create a test folder, a test file, and experiment with each link type to see the behavior firsthand. Once comfortable, you can use links to declutter your drives, sync data smartly, or organize projects without copying files. The order is link first, target second –