'mklink'

GUI for this command: https://web.archive.org/web/20180409110309/http://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshellext/hardlinkshellext.html

(below text is from https://cects.com/overview-to-understanding-hard-links-junction-points-and-symbolic-links-in-windows)

• A file that acts like a representation of a target file on the same drive
• Has the same size as the target without duplicating it (doesn’t use any space)
• Interpreted at the operating system level (SW apps act upon the target through the link)
• Deleting the Hard Link does not remove the target file
• If the target is deleted, its content is still available through the hard link
• Changing the contents through the Hard Link changes the target contents¹⁾
• Must reside on the same partition as the target file
• Compatible with Win2k and above in Windows

• A file that acts like a representation of a target directory, partition or volume on the same system
• Has the same size as the target without duplicating it (doesn’t use any space)
• Interpreted at the operating system level (SW apps act upon the target through the link)
• Deleting the Junction Point does not remove the target²⁾
• If the target is moved, renamed or deleted, the Junction Point still exists, but points to a non-existing directory
• Changing the contents through the Junction Point changes the target contents
• Can reside on partitions or volumes separate from the target on the same system
• Compatible with Win2k and above in Windows

• A file containing text interpreted by the operating system as a path to a file or directory
• Has a file size of zero
• Interpreted at the operating system level (SW apps act upon the target through the link)
• Deleting the Symbolic Link does not remove the target
• If the target is moved, renamed or deleted, the link still exists, but points to a non-existing file or directory
• Points to, rather than represents, the target using relative paths
• Can reside on partitions or volumes separate from the target or on remote SMB network paths
• Compatible with UNIX and UNIX-like systems and with Vista and above in Windows

• A file interpreted by the Windows shell or other apps that understand them as paths to a file or directory
• File size corresponds to the binary information it contains
• Treated as ordinary files by the operating system and by SW programs that don’t understand them
• Deleting the shortcut does not remove the target
• Maintains references to target even if the target is moved or renamed, but is useless if the target is deleted
• Points to, rather than represents, the target
• Can reside on partitions or volumes separate from the target on the same System
• Compatible with all Windows versions