SymlinkCreator

What the app does

Symlink Creator is a Windows GUI application for creating multiple symbolic links at once using the built in mklink command. A symbolic link, or symlink, is an NTFS feature that points to a file or folder elsewhere on the system. Unlike the traditional shortcut files that Windows uses, which carry a file size and only reference a target, a symlink appears to programs as the real file or folder. That distinction matters when the goal is to make content appear in more than one place without copying it. The README explains that symlinks do not waste storage space the way duplicated files do, because only the link is added, not a second copy of the data. The app works for both files and folders, and it targets Windows 10 and Windows 11. By wrapping mklink in a script that the app generates and executes, Symlink Creator turns a command line task that normally requires administrator privileges and careful typing into a drag and drop operation with a list of sources and a destination. The practical result is that a user can assemble a collection of links in one action rather than running mklink by hand for each item. That single action is the main convenience the app offers, and it is what separates the tool from opening a command prompt and typing each link individually.

Example use cases

The README lays out several concrete scenarios where symlinks beat shortcuts or duplication. One example is a music library sorted by artist and album, where a user wants a separate favorites collection to carry on a mobile device. A normal shortcut cannot be copied as the actual song, and duplicating files wastes disk space, so symlinks let the favorites folder hold the real files without a second copy. Another scenario is backup: a folder synced to a cloud service such as Google Drive can include symlinks to files elsewhere, so those files get backed up without being moved into the synced folder. A third example is gaming, where Steam stores games on a slower non system drive but the user wants faster load times from an SSD. Symlink Creator can place symlinks of the game folders on the SSD while the data physically stays on the slower drive, and Steam keeps working because it sees the links as real folders. These cases show the app's value is about storage layout and convenience rather than any single dedicated feature, and the README presents them as the reasons a user would reach for the tool. The README frames these scenarios as the core reasons a seller or hobbyist would install the app, and they show that symlinks solve layout problems that shortcuts and file copies cannot.

How it is used and installed

Installation is handled through WinGet with a single command that installs the app with its dependencies and adds a command alias, or through a manual ZIP download for x64 and ARM64 with a short list of prerequisites such as the .NET runtime and the Windows App Runtime. The interface lets a user add files or folders to a source list and choose a destination path where symlinks are created. Drag and drop is supported directly from File Explorer, and a user can also drop a text list of paths separated by new lines. Options include using relative paths when source and destination share a drive, retaining the generated script file on the desktop for review, and hiding the success dialog so only errors appear. Startup options passed to a shortcut control language selection, absolute paths, script retention, and suppression of the elevation warning. The README is explicit that mklink requires administrative privilege, so the app must run elevated to create symlinks, and it links Microsoft's documentation on the create symbolic links policy. A development and release guide covers building and testing for contributors. The WinGet package keeps the install and update steps consistent across machines, and the contributor guide means the app can be rebuilt or modified without leaving the documented path.

Editorial conclusion

The application is released under the MIT license and its most recent commit was on 2026-08-26.